Yesterday, unusualy for me, I went for a walk around the grounds of our local castle. I got lost - haven't done that for years - so walked further than I intended. Helpful hides are set around the lake for bird-watchers but also good for wheezy walkers. I spent a few minutes in each getting my breath sorted and seeing very little from the discreet slits. In fact, in the space of a few yards as I walked on, I saw a pair of blue tits, a bullfinch, a wagtail and a tree-creeper. I also heard a woodpecker but failed to spot him. The woodpeckers here are't like the smaller southern blue-green peckers; they're black and red and white. Very handsome, but I miss the little ones still.

I caught sight of two nesting swans but decided not to try to get closer - scary creatures when roused.

The duck island certainly wasn't subsidised by the tax paying public - or if it was it didn't cost much!

The copper beech trees are beginning to leaf up and I appreciated how well they tone with the soft almond pink the castle has been painted.