Swift Half update - 2nd January 2011

• Not a whole lot to report here - bar a pair of blackcap (brown-capped female and black-capped male) in the garden today - very nice to see.


• Its fox season now - and I disturbed the two local youngsters in our rear garden at 6am this morning.


• I was just ensuring the hens had food and water, prior to setting off on my owl-hunt (see below) and bold as you like, the two young foxes (last years cubs) strolled into my torch beam, sat down and just looked at me. Not thirty feet from me n all! It was as if I was in THEIR garden!


• I chased them out of the garden, secured the chicken run with a few more bricks, left Malu and Yala on guard duty and headed off owl-wards anyhoo.


• Finally today, we had a lovely bit of sun - has that been in short supply recently! The kites LOVED it!
• Anna noticed that both Conker and Trouble were pulling feathers out of Couven today and eating them - NOT GOOD! I also noticed that Conker and Couven had a "stand off" for the first time ever - remember not so long ago that I had to spray Conker with "Scarper" to stop Couven bullying her.
• I'm slightly concerned the tables have turned therefore with regards to the pecking order of our girls - Couven seems to be the runt now and I've had to resort to spraying her fluffy white flanks with scarper, in a bid to stop the others pulling feathers out of her.
• I'm not overly concerned at present, but its something I will have to keep an eye on, as I really don't want to begin a fresh year with another ill / dead hen...