This little fella is Bertrand the blackbird. For the last few days he's been visiting the back garden to grab the occasional snack. Sometimes he brings his wife, Bertina. She's a bit camera-shy, though .....
I was just sat having a cup of tea (and a mince pie) in the conservatory when I looked up and saw this beautiful robin in the back garden. I'm really pleased because I've been trying to encourage birds into the garden for a few weeks now. When we first moved here the back garden was pretty bird unfriendly. It had no grass and was just an arrangement of paving slabs, gravel, woodchips and a couple of flower beds. We've since put down some grass for the guinea pigs. I was really missing the birds and so was Buster. We used to get such an array of wildlife in the back garden at the old house and he would sit in the conservatory chattering to the birds in that funny whiskers-twitching-lots-of-tiny-miaows kind of way. He's far too lazy to be bothered to chase them so he just talks to them instead!Anyway, after speaking to beadmaking bird guru Emma Ralph I put a couple of feeders in the back garden and for the past week or so the number of feathered visitors to the garden has increased. This morning I've seen starlings, pigeons, robins and blue tits. This little robin was eating the crumbs that the starlings had dropped from the feeder above. The picture's not brilliant as I took it from where I was sat with the camera set to maximum zoom but I think it's quite festive nonetheless.
The woodland weekend away went far too quickly! Chris and I had a wonderful time at Center Parcs. I think that's about the seventh or eighth time that I've been there and it's always great. It's very relaxing and so quiet.
There are no cars and no light pollution so when you're in the outside pool at night having an evening swim you can look up and see a bazillion-and-one stars. There is an abundance of wildlife too. The squirrels outside were very friendly. One of them (who I named Simon) actually ventured inside our villa a couple of times. We also saw rabbits, ducks, geese and a heron. 
The waterfowl were so tame that they were taking bread from my hand. Very cute!
So holiday time is over and now it's no rest 'til Christmas! We're on that slippery slope. The shops are already stocking festive wrapping paper, cards, selection boxes and jumbo tubs of Twiglets..... 
