As I sit and write this we are really into the summer the temperature is soaring into the late twenties and nothing much is stirring in the surrounding Forest. The activity at the bird feeders has diminished slightly and consequently I don’t have to replenish the food on a daily basis, but I expect that it will a short-lived respite. I regret to report that I haven’t seen the spotted flycatchers this year and I don’t think they’ll put in an appearance this late in the season. It’s the first time since I’ve lived here that I haven’t had the privilege of watching them flitting up and down from the top wire of the fence to catch the bounty of flies for their hungry brood. I’m also missing the nightjars; these mysterious night-fliers could always be seen at dusk hawking over the trees on the boundary of the paddocks. I’ve watched for them for some time but to no avail, I wonder what has happened to them, and hope that I will see them next year.

I noticed, last week, as I was cutting the lawn, a pair of swallows working in the air space above the garden. Nothing much to get excited about I hear you say, but it is to me, for swallows, martins and swifts are very seldom sighted up here and I have been trying to encourage them on the house by fixing imitation nests under the eaves, but with no success. There are old nest scars on the building and I imagine that one of my predecessors had washed or knocked them down and thus discouraged the return of the builders. I know they make a bit of a mess, but I think it’s a privilege to share ones home with these little birds that have flown all the way from Africa in order to hatch and rear their young. So it was with interest that I stopped the mower and watched the darting pair. To my delight, one after the other they suddenly swooped down and into the stable through the top half of the open door and they didn’t reappear. I crept closer the stable block and could see the pair perched side by side on the steel bars that separate the loose boxes. They were both excitedly twittering and seemed to be inspecting a prospective home and why not? It’s a nice dry building with plenty of beams and ledges and a good supply of nest building mud at the margins of the pond, just the place for any self respecting swallow. They’ve been around now for several days and are continually inspecting the stable, there’s no sign of a nest as yet, but there’s still time.

The swallows were not my only surprise that day. I continued with my grass cutting and as I drove past the pond I glanced down at the water and to my astonishment saw dozens of tadpoles wriggling in the deep end. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The pond was created about six years ago and since then I have tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to encourage frogs and toads to take up residence. I was delighted therefore to see this swarming mass of tadpoles but I don’t ever recall seeing them this late in the year. If the grass snakes and herons give them a chance I might be lucky and see some more spawn next year.

On Sunday I was sitting on the patio reading a book and soaking up the sun when a movement on the low brick wall caught my attention. In the shadow cast by a garden chair I could see something clinging to the wall, and then it moved and to my delight I could see that it was a common lizard. I watched it for many minutes as it ran quickly across the baking brickwork from shade to shade. I’ve often seen them in the stable yard but never this close to the house.

I’ve also got crows. A pair of carrion crows have been frequent visitors over the years and this season they have reared two chicks that are now indistinguishable from the parent birds. Indistinguishable that is until they land on the lawn to feed and then the difference is obvious, for despite the fact that we are in July and that the chicks are quite capable of looking after themselves the parent birds are still feeding them. I’m frequently woken at some unearthly hour to the sound of raucous caws from the youngsters as they beg food from their parents.

If they don’t go soon I’ll give them something to crow about!

Ian Thew

Ians turns his attention to the autumn harvest next week The blackberries are turning and I’ve already had my first taste of blackberry and apple pie, a combination of flavours that must have been invented in heaven. The sweet chestnut, hazel nut and acorn crops look promising but I have been unable (up here, anyway) to find any evidence of a beech mast crop.