teaky

Make sure you get a receipt.

Don't believe pasty related promises from mallards Stu!

Ironic then that they arrived on the same day as the snow! (Only for about 15 minutes this morning but proper flakes.)

I'd have thought this would have been more appropriate?

Well, after a day of having a perfectly working track pad I'm now back to square one. The settings were ignored, the driver updated overnight and the Microsoft diagnostics tool found nothing to fix this time. I read several pages further on the forum to which RFS' link takes you and this seems to be a consistent problem. Looks like I underestimated Microsoft's arrogance again!

The first link didn't prevent the driver updating. I checked before and after the update and the box was still ticked but seems to have no effect. (It has, however, lead me to parts of Windows 10 which may prove useful in the future.) The second link looks more promising. It leads to a Microsoft diagnostics tool which seems to have no more functionality than the old Windows update process where you could select updates you wanted and "hide" updates you didn't want. As yet unproven for me but because of theway in which the tool appeared to work, I'm hopeful. Thanks RFS.

Tried that. No luck. Perhaps my two fingers were the wrong way around?!

Thanks BH. Unfortunately, I tried that but it only provides temporary respite. The next check for updates overwrites it again. Pity we seem to have lost the ability to select the updates we want from a list of identified updates. (Thou shalt do things the Microsoft way!)

Not really Windows 10, but I received a new driver last night for the Synaptics Pointing Device which has resulted in me losing the scroll function from my HP laptop touch pad. I can move around, tap to click but can no longer scroll by sliding my finger up and down the right hand edge of the touch pad. I liked this feature and it was less cumbersome than sliding the scroll bar at the side of windows. PITA! I've played with the settings but not fixed it. I've downloaded the latest driver from Synaptics but it looks like it was exactly what I received overnight. I cannot find how to back out this updated driver and return to the working one. Any clues please?

I wasn't around during WW2 and I'm not upper class but I am sitting in my study now. Not that unusual these days Brian.

I don't.

A convincing start there Stubby. Did you use two varieties of diluted dung for proper authenticity on those browns?

I think a fierce glaring eye is indicative of a raptor rather than specific to a sparrowhawk. However, having studied the original picture further, I now agree with you: sparrowhawk (female). The breast feathers also suggest the light stripes of a sparrowhawk rather than the mottling of a buzzard. Seems like a good sized bird though, comparing its size relative to the pigeon. The ones, both male and female, that visit our garden don't look big enough to take a pigeon easily and seem mainly focussed on sparrows and tits.

Perhaps a plywood coffin trimmed with track? Can't beat a bit of recycling.

I'd go with buzzard too. Not the biggest buzzard I've seen but the head plumage and lack of bright yellow around the beak suggests a youngster so that might explain it. Pity we can't see its front. Melmerby (I think) has sparrowhawks that take woodpigeons but the ones we get in the garden aren't much bigger than woodpigeons and I've not seen them hunt anything bigger than feral pigeons. The bird in that picture looks substantially larger than its prey.

Yeah, I was expecting a delay which is why I was pleasantly surprised when a pair of goldfinches appeared on it the day after I hung it up. They have been back a few times since. Never seem to stay very long, just a few minutes at a time. I have added a cage since, so they'll have to get used to that too now, but it is just a smaller version of the one I've had for years around the mixed seed feeder and none of the finches or other small birds seem to be put off by that. Although we get the occasional squirrel, the cages are mainly to keep woodpigeons off. They figured out how to perch with one wing almost clasping the feeder and then vacuumed the seed up. Although the niger feeder has smaller holes I already had the cage so I thought I'd use it.

Pair of goldfinches stuffing their faces earlier. What colourful birds they are.

Brand new niger feeder arrived today. Not had one before. We'll see what our feathered friends make of it.

Smart water?

It is right in a corner where two screen panels meet and there is a gap between the fern and neighbouring plants, so on this occasion the only cunning plan could be a decoy nest or temporary storage of nest lining materials. Unless it's the rare mining robin. Previous years' robin nests have been much better hidden in dense ivy against a wall with, as you suggest, the entry point a short distance from the nest. I haven't figured out where this year's blackbird nest is. We've had one in a different location around the garden for the past several years. It might be in the neighbouring garden. The daftest recent nest building attempt was by a pair of collared doves who thought the bracket behind a neighbour's satelite dish was a good site even though it is open on both sides and from above. The doves put up quite a scrap when the magpies arrived but inevitably were outgunned.

I've just noticed a robin disappearing behind a fern in a corner with fluffy nest lining materials and appearing again empty beaked. Seems to be nesting. Odd location to choose. The fern will grow as the seasons progress but is currently only about 20cm high. I wouldn't usually interfere but I feel compelled to see if I have anything in the garage to protect the spot - something that would allow a robin through but not a cat.

I can't imagine what you're disappointed about. Looks very convincing and should look even better once on your layout with, perhaps, a little weathering and a few weeds around.

Hi Tony, If you are interested, there is no need to register with eBay just to look at items for sale. Simply click this link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Geoff-Brewin-built-OO-Gauge-BR-8P-Duke-of-Gloucester-with-Maxon-coreless-motor-/141923501354?hash=item210b4cc52a:g:YKEAAOSwyjBW3gsU for Duke of Gloucester and then See seller's other items over towards the right to see the rest.

I dunno, Plisson gave a couple of nice passes to North.

Side effects include: lisinopril - blurred vision and confusion felodipine - bloating or swelling of face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet Ducky - I suggest you be very wary of Tim's prescriptions!