Kitchen Garden Forum

Our swallows are still rather thin on the ground or, rather, in the air, but yesterday we heard the first blackcap of the year singing. What a lovely song, almost rivalling a nightingale (I remember hearing my first nightingale on a still and balmy summer's evening not far from Sandringham in Norfolk - beautiful).

On a sad note, though: today I watched a rook taking a baby blackbird out of its nest in our garden. I thought the nest was so well hidden in the ivy that neither magpies or rooks would find it, but they did and our resident blackbird pair has to start all over again.

We've had a Pied Flycatcher in the garden the last couple of days - only seen one once before.

Had a little walk on thursday, to a little stream i used to dam up when i was a boy, and flitting in and out of the hedge was a Blackcap.

And also just heard the Cuckoo.