Warning! Birds are dangerous!

Well - having got the school children interested in birds and keen as mustard - they are now tripping over themselves to be bird feeder monitors - so on Wednesday, instead of playing footie, two of the boys desparate to help, assisted me in filling up the feeders. So far so good. As we walked towards a tree at the bottom of the garden, which is reached via a small grassy slope, I said "dont run or you will slip" as they were so keen to get to the feeder! As the words left my lips, I ended up in a heap at the bottom of said slope, very unladylike, covered in mud and unable to move! I had heard a noise like something snapping - "please dont let it be broken" was all I could think - the boys, bless, were saying "are you OK?" - as I tried to look "normal" with a smile on my face but in excruciating pain, I said "think you better get help". They were very calm and collected and help duly arrived.

Well, to cut to the chase, its a bad sprain "anything from 3 days to 3 weeks" said the Doctor twisting my foot in all directions (especially painful!). Oh dear - I am working my Notice period at the moment - bad timing!

So this afternoon, instead of tearing round doing things that dont really need doing, I sat with my foot in the air, and watched from the window a female hen harrier - incredible to think that this species is in grave danger due to persecution (please sign the RSPB pledge http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/birdsofprey/). I also saw our friendly buzzard, Bertie, ferreting about in our fir tree - wonder if he/she is nest building. The sparrowhawk put in an appearance too, swooping down on the bird feeder but no success. Then as the light started to go, the kestrel that is now a regular visitor sat perched on top of a spruce nearby. On top of that, the hundreds of chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, robin, starlings, blackbirds, dunnock, greenfinch, goldfinch visiting the bird feeder provided great entertainment for a Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, hubby has started to assemble a hen house - our next project - to keep hens! Add to the list of birds of prey above, the sea eagles which occasionally fly over the garden - are we providing a snack?? Suggestions for hen names gratefully received! Hopefully back to work on Monday with the aid of a crutch for the final 2 weeks.