This is the wettest winter I have known at the Priory. It has rained for weeks and water pours into the grounds. The ducks at least are happy - I've never seen so many. One day I counted twenty-two: normally there are five or six. The water level is very high. The island on the … Continue reading Flood And The Pigeon
Garden Birds
Grey Heron
Occasionally, grey herons (Ardea cinerea) visit the Priory - but they are shy and hoist themselves into the air when I amble into view. I haven't been able to photograph them. But a couple of weeks ago, I spotted a juvenile standing on top of the old duck box on the east pond's small island. … Continue reading Grey Heron
Garden Visitors
Gardening is a fine job and as an added bonus I see plenty of wildlife (as if I needed an added bonus). Here's a little of what I've seen recently. Some of the visitors to the Priory are aloof. I see buzzards regularly wheeling and crying above the valley but only very rarely close up … Continue reading Garden Visitors
Wordless Wednesday: A Robin’s Story
Little Owl
I disturbed a bird the other day. I was walking through the garden of the Old Forge and something broke cover. Though I managed to get a hurried snap of it in flight, it was gone too quickly for me to see what it might be. It was only later, alerted by the scolding call … Continue reading Little Owl
Birdwatching
I don't get a great variety of birds in my garden. Plenty of herring gulls, and a family of charismatic crows. Hardly exciting stuff, though we do get ... ... green woodpeckers too. They are regular visitors, feeding mostly on the ants that live in our dry, chalky soil. But in comparison to the Priory, … Continue reading Birdwatching
Keeping Busy, Keeping Warm
The grounds of the Priory can be a scary place when the wind gets up. Even the largest trees twist and sway alarmingly; creaking, groaning and occasionally hurling down dead branches. Generally, I think of trees as benign stalwarts but in high winds, I keep a wary eye on them and avoid walking beneath those … Continue reading Keeping Busy, Keeping Warm
The Anxious Gardener 