On this day . . .

I spent today running errands so here are few things that happened on this day (or thereabouts) in previous years.

Thursday, 16th February, 1995; Birds in or seen over the garden on:

Robin (2), B H Gull, Magpie, House sparrow, Starling, Jay, Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Pheasant, Dunnock, Blue tit, Great tit, Wren.

The pressed flowers (left) were pasted into my diary on the page for the 9th February. There's no indication of where they were collected; presumably in the back garden. The flower on the right is a snowdrop but I'm not sure what the other is; it doesn't look to me like anything that would be in flower in February.

Wednesday, 14th February, 1990; 'Badger hair 3 yards from top path, Stoneycliffe Wood' (I later showed this to a badger expert and was told it was in fact dog hair!).

Saturday, 17th February, 1990; Great Spotted Woodpecker, female, climbed post of bird table tried to get nuts out of the wire feeder (there was a blue tit on it at the time) without actually landing on feeder. Went round post climbing up and down then flew off to Derek's willow tree and hammered at that.

We immediately went out for more peanuts and I drilled an 18 inch length of larch pole to use as a suet log.

Wednesday, 17th February, 1971 I was a graphic design student at Leeds at the time. 'Jerusalem' is the book by William Blake. The lunchtime recital was in Leeds Art Gallery. The exhibition, my first, was at Peter Jones' China Shop in Leeds. Excuse the spelling. ; Drew Falcon to show FORM. Luvly Recital | Galuppi Sonata in C Liszt Consolations Gershwin 3 Preludes Prokofiev Sonata in A minor encore Clair de L'une Finished JERUSALEM Pictures for the Exhibition|Loans Tawny Owl Little Owls Barn Owl Fox ___ Horse Squirrel ______ Falcon Badger Deer Portrait Hare Tat's Tawny Owl Finished Fox. Wtchd Tom & Jerry Startrek

On 14th February 1971 I 'found a monocular under an Oak Tree.' Having trouble drawing the falcon on 16th February, 1971.

And from my brother Bill's diary . . .

Tuesday, 26th February, 1963; MADE TUNNEL IN SNOW

1963 was England's worst winter since 1946/47. On the 20th January, my brother had amended his pre-written diary entry (it's always tempting fate to write your diary in advance); 'WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL | NOT | BECAUSE OF BLIZARD OF SNOW.'

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk