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and suburban London about 100 years ago. It was something of an exciting wildlife spectacle. Writing in 1909, Charles Dixon describes the rapidly increasing gull expansion into the capital in his popular book Birdlife of London. He is rather bemused

and peered at the surrounding trees and bushes through our small cheap binoculars. It’s very much a waiting world out there. Hardly anything is moving and the various birds are huddled against the cold; like me they all seem to be thinking “come on, spring

, the birds have been gathering grass, moss and dead leaves for the last fortnight, sneaking them through a gap above the shed door and constructing their nest within. The gap is too small for any marauding predators, and Chris, my mother-in-law, has vowed

tough, or something isn’t working out as I want it to, I remind myself that actually I’m lucky I’m not a wild bird. Living in constant threat of predators, it’s easy to see the difficulties they face. During the breeding season, I find it amazing