Bird at Breakfast-time

I THINK that it's the heron on its morning round coming towards us over the trees but it's a buzzard, being mobbed by a crow. I don't think that I've seen one here for a year or more but apparently they are becoming more frequent in the area. It's wonderful to see one flying at tree-top height over the garden; we've seen some good birds at breakfast-time this week.

We have a record number of blackbirds in the garden later in the day. Six in the golden hornet, feasting on the yellow crab apples and at least another six on the ground, under the tree, on the lawn, by the pond and one rummaging around in the veg bed.

The bird-bath was frozen over this morning, there was ice on the pond and, evidently, there was still ice on the pond at midday in Thornes Park. The Canada geese had gathered on the football pitch while the mallards and moorhens were hanging around disconsolately in the car park.

There have been grumbles about the state of the park in the Wakefield Express; 'I walked by the duck pond and found that the ground was covered in goose droppings' complained one visitor!

We tried the Jumbo Pink Banana squash this evening. Apart from quite a few handfuls of beans, this was the only result of our Three Sisters trial of companion planting. Along with the roast parsnips and potatoes (from the farm shop, not our garden, unfortunately) was fine, we'll try growing it, or another variety of squash, again next year but this time we'll make sure we plant a bit earlier in the season.