Spring Action

I heard the cuckoo this morning, which is the first time. I've seen orange tip, red admiral and peacock butterflies, lots of bumblebees and lacewings too so far, but of course it's the cuckoo that announces it's Spring (or at least, more Spring-like than sub-Saharan Africa). It seems to be a semi-resident as I hear it calling from the same area, and I have also seen flying in its cumbersome manner across the field behind me in previous years.

The nestbox I put up in the copper beech behind the house has had blue tits successfully breeding in it for the past two years, but I heard a tap-tapping while I was giving the hens their breakfast, and thinking it was a woodpecker, went over to have a look. It was actually a great tit hammering away at the entrance hole trying to get in. I've seen blue tits, wrens and sparrows making reconnaissance missions in and around the box but the great tits seem to have bagged it as I saw one of them shoo away a blue tit. It couldn't seem to get its shoulders through so I'm wondering how long they'll persevere.

I'm now feeling I should provide the ousted blue tits with a new box and we were looking at camera ones this evening which would be brilliant, although I'm conscious it'll be another thing for me to worry about!! I could put it in the beech tree as the ivy provides plenty of cover and birds already nest there but I'm not sure how much room they need between boxes; I don't think they like to nest too close to each other (apart from sparrows who apparently enjoy the company) and I don't want to put off the great tits. An alternative would be in the cherry tree outside the front door, then the cable could come straight in through the lounge window, giving the Ocado/post/milk man an opportunity to garrote himself as he trips over the makeshift duck barrier and dodges the bees. I will also order some roosting pockets from Wiggly Wigglers as I have had dunnocks nesting in the hedge in these before now.

The weather has been very wet today and despite parched conditions a week ago, my garden has been transformed in to a sloppy and slippery mess. I am making a new border where the chickens were during the winter, as they demolished the grass and if I'm going to make good, I'd rather not simply reseed it. I'm sure my landlord would approve of a shady border with foxgloves, Pulmonaria, Lamium and a bee-friendly clover lawn instead of boring old ryegrass??

We went to Iden Croft Herbs yesterday which was, er, interesting. We didn't know what to expect, but that wasn't it. Anyway, I got some really interesting herb seeds which I sowed today: Good King Henry, cuckoo flower, woad, alkanet and arnica to name a few. My veg table now has a hanging basket on the side of it for me to plant a tumbling tomato, thus increasing the useable area.

I am now going to knit a lemon for my tea cosy...