Swift Half update - 23rd January 2011

• A while since I posted on Swift Half - but not much news to report. A little newTs though...


• I've cleared out the pond a bit. Lots of muck in there -dead leaves, bits of wood etc... People will tell you not to clear out the pond in the winter, but they'll also tell you not to clear out the pond at all. Well - if I prevented any leaves getting in the pond at all -and also prevented it freezing AND also prevented the cats clawing the lining, then that would be fine - but I've done none of the above, so felt a little clearing out was in order - mainly to get rid of dead and rotting vegetation, that provides a little for the water lice -but takes so much from everything else.


• Annnnywaaaay.... great to see our newts still there (like I said the other day -VERY early for them - we're bound to freeze again before March).


• The marsh marigolds are up and running too - well above the water line their green shoots are now.


• Three woodpeckers in the garden still (old male, young male, old female). The blackbirds seem to be starting to nest already in the front garden- a cat will have them again there I'm afraid, even if its not one of ours...


• The local starling flock is still going strong - maybe 1000 birds the other day (photos on flickr).


• Couven is growing her feathers back very slowly, after a month of misery for her. Most of her feathers started to fall out a month ago - assisted (in a nasty way) by Conker and Trouble -who have really picked on her for a few weeks. They drew blood from her backside again last night, so I've had to cover the old girl in purple gentian spray - which helps a bit. She's pretty miserable though - I'm hoping that when her lovely pale feathers (and eggs!) return, she'll re-assert her position as number two in the pecking order and start to boss Conker again (who knows she's getting away with murder right now).


• Conker and Trouble are too young to moult this year and are pumping the eggs out like a tommy gun still.