Mabaker

Last night I heard the hooting of an owl from nearby Dawson's Heights. This was quite exciting for me because in all my born days I have never seen or heard an owl in the wild. I'm no expert but looking it up in my bird call app I think it might have been a tawny owl.

Ok. Thanks

I'm having trouble accessing this forum. I'm being blocked out and had to go to historical page to get in. Never had this problem before. Has the login changed?

For anyone interested in recording life events of plants and animals, e.g, first blooms, leaves etc, woodland trust are always looking for recorders for their database. The information is helpful in tracking the changes in seasons. Go to naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org

Thanks for two posts endorsing my bird as black cap. That's what I'll record

Thanks for the suggestion. I thought it might be a black cap too but then wondered if could be a marsh tit.

So I've just been participating in the Great British Birdwatch and noted down robins, great and blue tits and wood pigeons, but there is one bird which came very briefly to the feeder which I've never seen before. It had a black cap and fawny brown body with no distinctive features apart from the head, about the same size as great tit. Does anyone have any ideas of what it could be? I'm in Donkey Alley and Dawson Heights is at the back.

There has been extensive renovations further down the hill and also one at the bottom of the hill but l have seen skips there so can't imagine that it comes from there. It's a mystery. It wasn't long ago that someone left bags of rubble there and we had to report it. If you look carefully, you can see debris still there from the last lot of flytipping

Truely worrying to see plans are to dig down two floors. Will this not cause subsidence to neighbouring properties and trees?

Thanks for advice. I have reported via 101 who referred my to council so filled in anti social complaint form. Ill see if I get any reply.

I got home from a lovely holiday last night to find that someone had poured a lot of white paint all over the ground at the side of our house. Anyone who walks through Dawson Heights nature reserve to Donkey Alley will see it. It has seeped through the fence and spread all over my flower borders. I don't understand why anyone thinks that this is a good place to dump their rubbish. What baffles me is that there is no paint tin there so presumably someone has tipped it out of its tin. On a more practical note, I'm wondering if it is worth asking the Council to put a no fly tipping sign there. Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree that no response to reporting missed bins has only been a problem since covid.Where I live in Donkey Alley this has been a problem for years and reporting has been a waste of time. At one time my blue bin wasn't collected for 6 weeks. We had to put it all in the car and take it to the tip. One day my husband saw them at the bottom of our hill and ran down to ask them to come up and take our bin. They only came up after having an argument about it. Reported it to my councillor who never even sent me an acknowledgement. I'm hoping they pick up all the food that they didn't collect last week.

I agree with you Nigello. We need as many trees as we can get to re-wild our country and fight climate change.I think the trees are likely to enhance the view. I'm sure we will still be able to see the skyline as the trees would have to be really tall to block it.If I hear anything back from the Councillor I will post it here.

I have emailed the councillor so lets see what happens

Will do. Thanks

Ive just come back from the hill and seen a few saplings and those plastic tubes scattered around. I dont know if they've been pulled up or if its the wind but its such a shame. It's not too late to replant them. Does anyone know who I could contact to let them know and hopefully send someone there?

Our brown bin wasnt collected this Tuesday either. Ive given up reporting missed collections because all you get is an automated reply, then your complaint is ignored. Its been that way for years.

Thanks for advice. Will try that route

Had the same problem about untrue information. The last time it wasn't collected my husband managed to catch one of the refuse collectors on following bin day. He insisted that the bin hadn't been left out, even though I'd dragged it there myself. I insisted that it had been there but he would not back down. I could only find the report missed bin page on the council website and no phone number, so no chance to speak to a human being on the phone.

I've had a look at the new plans. It looks to me like the overall building area has been reduced. There's been a nod to environmental concerns with plans for a roof garden and recommendations for a pond and bird and bat boxes. I would like to think that these recommendations would be enforced but who knows? I also worry about the removal of trees but looks to me like there are more trees being retained if I've read it right.

I've lost count of the number of times the bins have been missed down our road. The blue bins have been emptied in Goodrich Road and the surrounding area. I've just done an inspection. From the bottom of Donkey Alley and all the way up, the bins are full. I've reported a missed collection but experience has told me that the report is never acted on.

James. Can you please look into none collection of garden waste due to not getting stickers. The environmental dept don't answer the phones. The refuse collectors have told me that I'm not on their list for collection and they are not allowed to empty the bin. I have paid ?30 for a service that I'm not getting.

I didn't get a reminder to renew either. I wouldn't use anyone else's bin. I just want my sticker! Not looking forward to another kerfuffle with our collectors again tomorrow.