Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Robin.

[viques]

I saw your new baby hopping around the garden this morning, only a singleton, but s/he was looking well and healthy.

I am hoping for good news from Mr and Mrs Blackbird soon, but they seem to be a bit slow this year, last week they were still refurbishing the nest. Mrs B is fussy diva and expects a complete overhaul and redecoration every year.

I know Mr Giant Cunty Seagull! I met him at Bristol Temple Meads Station the other week, he is MAHOOSIVE, and I was so shocked I spoke to the nearest bloke who was sitting on a bench eating a sandwich, and I commented on what fat and greedy fucker Mr Cunty Seagull was, and we had a small conversation and then I walked away, thinking what a bit fat the bloke was and stuffing in the sandwich and was commenting on Mr Cunty Seagull a displacement activity on my part?

We're awaiting a happy event from The Dove From Above who is currently nesting at the top of our rose arch. Had to stop my husband attacking the out-of-control roses with the hedge-trimmer this morning. She looks very serene up there.

Also have lots of pheasant chicks careering around the lanes - the school run's turning into some sort of off-road slalom!

That's lovely. I hope they all grow p safe and well and become splendid parents too.

I have to admit we have 3 cats, so we don't get many birds in the back garden, but we have a pair of birds in the Tudor roses in the front, as the cats never go there.

I'm lucky enough to host a flock of rowdy gulls every year. They sound like drunken raucous sailors and I do sometimes wish I could swap them for some genteel blackbirds instead. I dare not raise the issue though.

We've got mr starling who was sitting on the guttering serenading any passing single miss starlings and it seems he was making a nest under our roof tiles! Just waiting to see if any babies either fall from the great height on to the concrete below or learn to fly, for all I know they've already flown the nest...

The collared doves are definately shit nest builders! Last year Collette laid a single egg on two twigs placed across the drainpipe. There was no chick that year. This little one is a miricale, although they did leave it on the lawn to be babysat by next-door's cat, who thankfully was swiftly called inside.

We are still waiting for Mr and Mrs Swift to return from over wintering abroad and set up the nursery under the roof tile.

We're very non-specific here, however Mr & Mrs Little Brown Shouty Bird seem to have had lots of Teeny Baby Brown Shouty Birds.

The cats don't seem too interested in them, they're too busy pouncing on John-and-Elaine-next-door's shed roof trying to get a bit of Mr Giant Cunty Seagull, who is flying tantalisingly close, but out of reach.

Did you know that goldfinches are terrible housekeepers who poo in their nests and don't clean it up. The poo just builds up.

I've never looked at them the same way since learning that fact.

I once saw what I thought were massive bees in my garden and it was only until I stood still that I realised they were baby wrens. Such a sweet moment to see them fledge. The parents were quite insistent but great demonstrators on how to do it.

We probably have a nursery of tiny Chaffinches too, but they nest in the thicket of the tree and I can't tell. We do see Mr & Ms Chaffinch out and about and on the bird feeder so am hoping they have set up residence.

I am REALLY hoping Mr & Ms Hedgehog have procreated this year. Not birds I know, but I want cute little baby hedgies in the garden. We have put a new special hedgie house under the hedge for them (birthday present from DH).

I've seen baby hedgehogs twice. It's such a treat. They make a lot of noise when moving the babies. Snuffle snuffle.

The goldfinches around here are incredibly stand-offish- our sunflower hearts are good enough for the tits and robin but they are incredibly disdainful.

I was seduced by their beauty and bought them their very own niger seed hanger but they won't touch it.

Sadly, baby birds are my cat's favorite treat.

I have the dogs on cat patrol.
Ant cat that comes near the baby blackbirds does so on their own risk.

The tits are in the 'cheep' Aldi nesting box, in the apple tree for the second year running.

Mr & Mrs Blackbird are darting in and out of the conifer that has had a blackbird nest in it every year (I was wondering earlier whether babies who fledged there return to nest as adults...).

The Lovey Doveys are canoodling in the damsons.

And this little chap/girl is living with us, after its careless mother wandered off without it. She started with 10... our neighbour spotted her with just 4 yesterday. Duck enjoys being read to by DD. It puts its little head on one side, as though it's really paying attention. We will take it down to the river in a few weeks. In the meantime, it has a large cage with an ensuite pondette, a teddy to snuggle against and an endless supply of chick crumbs.

I'km wondering how pigeons ever get to recreate..we had 5 fall out the nest last year...one narrowly missing my head.

I've never like pigeons...but was quite touched by their reactions when they came back to an empty nest

Meanwhile, cantankerous Mr Crow is throwing sticks in the paxillin garden.

We have The Family Swallow who have appeared again this year.

We can hear them tweeting away from our living room as they have a nest under the eaves.

Oh shockers your young house guest is beautiful.

Well, I bloody love Woody my visiting wood pigeon. We have lovely chats and put the world to rights. Granted, it's pidgen English, but he makes it clear that he fucking hates Trump. Bless him!

Mr Starling, who lives in our gutter (with his lady love inside) likes giving me hard stares whilst I put my make-up on & he has a fat, wriggly grub in his beak, as if to say 'how dare you actually be there in MY house.'

When his little baby starlings hatch & wake me up at 5am every morning the ear plugs will have to be dug out.

"Were you invited to the hen nights?"

BRILLAINT!

Oh I'm so jealous of you all with Springwatch recreated in your gardens. I actively discourage birds on account of Bastard Cat. We did have a pair of beautiful collared doves who half-built a shonky mess of a nest part way up a bay tree but then wisely decided to move on.

I am in great sadness regarding garden birds this year .

Last year I managed to feed them from many weeks - sadly they are the fussiest bloody eaters and will only eat flippin' mealworms which cost a fortune. All other forms of food from corn to bread to fat balls to sunflower seed heads are completely ignored. I think they are Waitrose shoppers.

Alas, due to a year of poor earnings I have been totally unable to provide this year so I am bereft of flying visitors.

I had some lovely birds, some I couldn't match up with piccies so never figured out what they were, blackbirds, tits, the ubiquitous magpies and wood pigeons etc and I really miss gawping out of my French doors to see who'd come to visit (so much so that DD started calling me 'mad bird woman' and thought I was going potty).

Hopefully next early Spring I'll be back on it again.