More mouths to feed

One side effect of the cold snap has proved to be an increase in numbers of the local bird population. At every feeding time, I am used to the unruly mob of around 30 house sparrows, all chattering and fighting like a large group of schoolboys descending onto the field from the hedgerows, but now we have up to six pheasants, a small flock of pied wagtails,a ubiquitous trio of robins and the usual suspects which are the crows,rooks and seagulls.

My poultry only seem to accept the game birds, and hardly batter an eye as the pheasants sail in over the graveyard like enemy bombers to grab hurried mouthfuls of corn. They actively hate the smaller thieving bastards, especially the comical sparrows, which they chase off incessantly.When the adolescent sparrows were learning to fly,I remember with a little shame that the hens often stalked and killed the baby birds before they could take off for the hedges!

I have cleaned out the coops in the freezing sunshine this afternoon, with George,Maddie and Albert keeping me company. At one stage I was on my hands and knees in the duckhouse with the two dogs,cat and the inquisitive Boris, all stood in a row watching me silently....I wish I had remembered my camera.

Tomorrow is Una's funeral over in Liverpool. I think I can just about get over to attend the service but will have to leave fairly sharpish to get back for the dogs. No funeral is a happy event, but this one will be an incredibly sad affair.I just hope I can catch up with Nuala, it is important she knows that she has someone (out of many I suspect) that is standing in her corner!

Chris went back to work today, and Sorrel is now safely back in Broadstairs, so I am back to animal caring and eggs deliveries. The new hens are laying nicely now (including the ever optimistic Bunny who bangs out a tiny brown egg a day!) These tiny eggs are not that useful to sell as they are far too small, so I popped them up to old Mrs Jones to see if she wanted them. The freezing weather can often isolate the elderly within any community, but In Trelawnyd, the pensioner bungalows have all had their icy paths cleared and gritted by supportive neighbours
Chris has started knitting again.......he is halfway through a foot wide scarf at present!