MUSIC TO MY EARS

Spring seems to be still a long way off and the promise of only a few weeks ago has been forgotten with the advent of gales snow/frost and more torrential rain. In spite of this the birds in our garden are busy building nests.

A large bag of hair ,donated by a friend who owns a long haired dog vanished in a morning as did a net full of wood wool and a hand full of hay jammed in to a thorn bush.

The robins reedy winter song has ,for some weeks been replaced by a full throated warble which is a joy to hear, the wrens are shouting out their territorial claims loudly enough to be heard in the next parish and all around are the sights and sounds of their industry.

My tame pair of robins are courting my attention as the nest in a bush outside my window,the male bird sings on a branch a couple of feet away from where I sit to write and as soon as it is possible to keep the window open during the day their will be a supply of meal worms for him and his family,a small price to pay for the offices of such a skilled musician. During the winter months we place a private supply of food for him by the front door a spot which other birds a too timid to use.

Recently I purchased and old French bird cage,the type in which a dove would have been housed as a lovers gift to his lady. The spaces between the bares are wind enough for small birds such as robins to easily get in and out. During the summer this will hand in my bedroom window and inside I shall place a plate of meal worms and suet, this will enable the robins and their young to feed safely without fear of our resident kestrel family.

I hope for some interesting photographs to show you if all goes well.

Although my cold is no better feel rested now and I hope to shake it off before too long.

My mum is having a quiet weekend with my brothers,we expect that there will be some news next week.

In the mean time we are all attempting to have as normal a time as possible, as mum herself says,time enough for trouble without meeting it halfway, how I wish I had her courage.