Rise of the Cornflowers

As the summer moves on, the garden looks better all the time. As I often say, the cornflowers are splendid and in various colours. The usual blue it there, but the other colours are about in wonderfully mixed clusters. I always think they have not taken at first. But then one starts to bud. Then another. I get happy when a couple of blue ones open. Then all of a sudden, everything seems to explode with colour.

We have had a few heavy rainfalls but once the sun comes out that seems to be the remedy. Lots of water followed by bright sunshine. It does the trick every time. 

Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story of Brexit by Craig Oliver

Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story of Brexit by Craig Oliver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this fly on the wall account of the losing Remain team's efforts to win the EU referendum. One is taken through the various stages of the build up to the referendum. The negotiated new EU deal etc. It obviously points out the reasons why the Remain team wanted to stay in the EU with its economic argument. There still seemed to be the failure to recognise why the majority of the UK electorate would not be swayed. What I mean is they accept they lost and why, but there still seemed to be a refusal to understand the non-economical reasons. Almost like it must remain irrelevant.

My enjoyment is perhaps more warped because I know they are going to lose and I want Brexit to happen. I know it will happen and these guys are going to lose. Still, I do feel some sympathy for them. It is well written and I would recommend this account of well-intentioned British politicians who accidentally let a horde of apathetic gremlins out of the box to claim a nation back. Or so we hope.

The Black and Tan Summer: Ireland's Turbulent Year of 1920


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The Dunnock Eggs Have Hatched.

The Dunnock eggs have hatched and I'm hoping they'll grow strong and be able to fledge off into the waiting world. Nature is wonderful but cruel. Our world is a harsh mistress, yet it is full of beautiful things.

The dutiful Female and Male seem very devoted to the tiny things and constantly come and go gathering food to bring the little infants closer to the time of fledging.

Labradoodle Puppy Dogs.

Went to visit my sister's farm. She loves Labradoodle dogs. They look like big poodles. One of her dogs has had a litter of Labradoodle pups. I had to get a few quick shots of the noisy little bundles of fluff on my mobile.

She has three fully grown Labradoodles and they love life on the farm. The oldest, named Daisy is the mother of this litter's mother. Therefore, these pups are her grandchildren.

Daisy is grey and Millie is chocolate colour, while Rosie (The mother of this litter) is white.

The Little Jenny Wren Bird

I spoke of the Goldfinches and their rescue after the House Sparrows attacked the nest. I was happy to blog about the Dunnock in the shrub with its nest of tiny turquoise blue eggs. Then this morning, when my wife went to the chicken and duck coops to gather eggs; she noticed the bird box we had put up. A little Jenny Wren flew inside carrying a feather for nest building.

I was pleasantly surprised because I had been speaking to Carole about moving the box where it might be hidden by the crawling plants on the trellis work further along the garden fence. I was thinking that the birds would like somewhere hidden and not exposed as this bird box is.

I’ll have to abandon that idea now because the little Jenny Wrens seem fine with the nest. I’m just worried that carrion birds might spot it. Especially the Jays. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Working Between Chatteris and Manea with Raptors Above.

I cursed my bad luck for not having my camera with me, but I was at work. The day before I was coming out of the village of Manea when I saw a Red Kite flying very low over the rooftops of two houses. I could make it out so clearly and was very excited to see a Red Kite in Manea. There are plenty of Buzzards and Marsh Harriers. But this was my first Red Kite in this particular vicinity. 

I got out my mobile phone and tried to get a photo shot, but the raptor caught the wind and was too far gone and could only be made out as a tiny dot.

The today, I was about five miles out on the other side of the village close to Chatteris when I saw another Red Kite. I can't say if it was the same one, but it may have been. I checked the van mirrors and nothing was coming along the country road. Once again, I tried my mobile and again the bird caught the wind and sped off. I managed to get this shot and one can tell the Red Kite by the shape of the tail.

When I talk to the Fenlanders, they are all adamant that they never used to see this many birds of prey and it is only over recent years that these Raptors have started to come back in numbers. There have been sighting of Sea Eagles in Norfolk - the next county that has a border is only six miles from this photo location. Perhaps Sea Eagles in a year or two?

War of the Worlds Fans Look at This!

THE LAST DAYS OF THUNDER CHILD - A War of the Worlds pastiche in paperback and on Kindle.