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soon discover that grey squirrels (and reds too) are not as vegetarian as their public image might suggest, and it is well known for them to chew carrion, small bones and fallen antlers. They are also recorded as killing and eating hatchling birds, eggs

and have one snuffling about in the bushes nearby or see one bounding across one of the paths.Then round the corner there's a fight between a grey squirrel and a magpie. The bird is showing its characteristic persistence by hopping and fluttering back

the densely populated 12eme arrondissement?Something occurs to me. Are the houses of south-east London no longer attractive for nesting in the eaves? What with roof insulation and loft conversions, perhaps the birds are being edged out? Ironically, the five

the missile. If it's a female it will ignore the stone and continue sunning itself. So confrontational are the males that they will also flap up to investigate other butterflies, bumblebees, birds and even passing aeroplanes.

off. The densest is our tree of Oven's wattle, Acacia pravissima, now a huge impenetrable cushion of yellow flowers dominating the end of the garden. Part of the HFW scheme is a series of garden surveys and I've had more luck with April birds than

. On Sunday, our ivy was abuzz with bees, wasps, hoverflies and other insects, but when this fast-food source is gone, they will still need the most basic of their primary needs - shelter. Animals coming to 'visit' flowers, or bird tables, or fat balls, is all

, to give it its full name, is a beautiful bird - sleek, handsome, well-groomed, elegant, silky (Bombyx, after which it takes its scientific name, is the silk moth). It is also a rare visitor to Britain.A native of higher latitudes, it only visits us when

though and I doubt the fire crackers and rook scarers we bought in the Montbard Market did much to entice them out into the open.Sunday 15th Very heavy rain today so we'll be making use of the heated indoor pool. When I open the door a fledgling bird

remove healthy trees" was their initial answer.The environmental and wildlife grounds for getting rid of it were overwhelming. The tree was not large enough to be of much benefit to nesting birds. Leyland cypress is a foodplant for next-to no