Swift Half update - 15th February 2011

• A relativley sunny day yesterday (with one hail shower at tea time) meant I started work on the garden for the year, helped of course by all three hens.


• Whilst clearing out the log pile and in the process blocking one of Malu's escape routes to the front garden (more on that later) I discovered the first seven-spot ladybirds, warming themselves in the weak sun.


• The local magpies are beginning to nest already (see photo above).


• Malu returned home after an evening explorin', with a pink, twitchy right eye again. Malu seems to get fur or twigs behind his eye rather a lot - but I think this episode is because he forced his way through a blocked (with honesuckle twigs) escape route for him, in the dark. I think he just got poked in the eye by one of the twigs. I'll keep an eye on it.


• I also think we've had bird activity in our swift nest space - probably sparrows, but I'll keep an eye on that too.