Alder's Tone

Ahh, probably got some people there, it's not an extension to the human
element of the family, but the housemartins. We've had a nest for a few
years now in the top of one gable end of the house, and last year it was
extended by way of a perch (we'd call it a porch) being built alongside.
Now, there's a whole load of activity going on:

- The perch is being extended, possibly into a second nest
- A new nest is being built on the gable end at the opposite side of the
house (facing West) above the kitchen window
- A new nest looks to be started on next door's East gable end facing our
new nest above the kitchen

There are a lot of birds around at the moment, mostly the housemartins. But
we're getting others, a wood pigeon is a frequent visitor picking up nuts
that the bluetits drop (there's one young bluetit with a punk style
haircut), a blackbird that has laid eggs a second year running in a nest in
a laurel - and two years running she's been scared off by our cats, maybe
next year she'll learn it's a blackbird ghetto and look for somewhere safer. 8 eggs
in two years she's lost in that nest.

We're low on finches (green, gold, chavs with Burberry wings) but make up
for it with the odd great tit.

And despite an promising start, the bird box we put up a few years ago has
only been occupied once, and that was by a family of bluetits, within days
of it going up. Shame it hasn't been touched since.

All this flying about keeps our own little guy happy, he's happiest stood on
his bedroom windowsill looking out towards the woods shouting "bird" at
everything that flies past. So long may our family keep growing.