Noisy, hungry, wife and eight kids to support

We didn't get to bed till 1am (Eurovision Song Contest) so I wasn't happy being woken at dawn by Rabbie erupting at random intervals, while he ate the food put down for him last night. Oh well.

Today's blip was going to be the yellowhammer in Extra 2. Then while I got breakfast ready,  Rabbie erupted onto the spaffinch wall to pinch their seed too. And demand an extra as usual.

Now, yellowhammers. Population declined so much they're on the red list. Quite plentiful here though, in summer, as they were when we lived in the Scottish Borders. I've always been really fond of them because of the bright flash of yellow as they fly across the car bonnet. But, whatever the books say, have you ever, ever heard one say "a little bit of bread and no cheese"?

This one is seen through the leaves of a special rowan tree. We first grew one from a berry in the Borders. When we moved to build a house in Sutherland, we took a berry from that, and nearly 20 years on it's a mature tree in its own right. So when we decided to downsize we planted a berry from that in a pot, and now the third generation tree is nearly as tall as me. Onwards and upwards.

You do know Rowans keep witches away, don’t you?

I should add that cuttings from the ivy on the wall of the church where we married, have followed the same path. Still flourishing too, in every way.