A sparrow. I saw a sparrow in my garden. I'm amazed and delighted. If you're wondering why the sight of a small, brown and rather common garden bird should get me in such a feverish state... consider the fact that I have NEVER seen a sparrow in my garden since we moved in almost four years ago. They are vanishing.

My garden is not exactly green, nor is it large. It's better than it was, but I have yet to lift…

August already and to hammer home the point of time flying, the swifts that have been screaming, ducking and diving over my home... have gone. Hopefully they'll be back from their African wintering grounds next year.

I've cleaned out the swift box I had fixed to my wall. It was used by a family of tits, who left behind a soft mossy mass with a base of twigs and plenty of animal hair. There was one un-hatched…