Working outside on my nest boxes after a late start on a milder day with the river high and coloured and then collecting Daniel to join the rest of the family for lunch at The Happy Eater. Home via Sandy and the RSPB HQ to review our nest boxes after my recent eaves protection and then an evening away from my work after enjoying my peeled prawns for tea
A late retirement to bed heralded a sound night’s sleep at least and Di had to wake me up this morning from a deep sleep. Lay there for too long and had to be turfed out again. Had completely missed the family for this meal and ate alone. Decided to go out to the garden, as it was a very mild morning. Got the ladders out, and after checking on the gutters, then started the process of servicing last winter’s nest boxes and putting up new ones.
By lunchtime had finished the task and we have ended up with two blue tit boxes – one on the oak tree and the other on the hawthorn over the swimming pool; next a large kestrel/owl box on the sycamore tree and the house martin box under the eaves at the back. I also lopped several branches off the sycamore tree, to give us better views across the river valley this summer. The sap is now rising strongly, after yesterday’s downpour and the open wounds of the tree fairly dripped with moisture after I had done. The river is highly coloured, but the anglers opposite still seem to be catching fish – albeit small ones. In for morning coffee and then sat and read a while, before it was time to go to town with the family. Collected Daniel from outside Readwell’s and let Di do a little shopping before we drove on to the Happy Eater for lunch. A pleasant enough meal, though I must admit to getting a bit bored with the same routine. On to Cambridge after to drop Daniel off at his friend Gary’s to stay overnight. Home via Sandy and the HQ of the RSPB. A pleasant drive there, via Eltisley, when we saw at least a half dozen riders out and I think they may have been a Hunt meeting in the area. Di bought a few things from the RSPB shop for future gifts and I purchased a ‘bat box’, a house martin’s nesting box and a further book on nest boxes, all to use to brighten up the wild life of our garden. Having sealed all of the gaps in the roof last summer, I felt that we should redress the balance. Home in late afternoon, with a mug of refreshing tea the main priority, and a second the next on the list. No rugby on the TV by this late hour and so whiled away the time somewhat until tea. Had peeled prawns for my tea and Debbie also had half a dozen, which was an improvement in her diet, as she has not been eating anything very nourishing lately. A poor evening, pledged to avoid working in my office and restless at the backlog of work that I still have. In the end, I retired to bed early and caught up on my journal. I had to ‘rescue’ the young white dove twice today and it seems the parents are anxious to start another brood and keep edging it out.