Once more this blog is about to get 'down and dirty', as I believe the kids say today.
The thing is that I seem to have got teenagers lounging about all over my garden at the moment.
Some of them are REALLY scruffy. I mean, look at this! What. A. State.
Were it not for the tell-tale bit of orange coming through, you'd struggle to tell what this is, it looks so grungey. This young Robin has been for a bit of a dip in a dirty puddle, because moulting into your first set of adult feathers must be itchy business in the heat of summer.
Or how about this, spreadeagled in a bare patch in my kitchen border?
Once again, you might at first be baffled by such a scruffbag, but it is a teenage Blackbird, flushing out the nits and fleas with the power of the sun.
And what's this? An audience?
Actually, the House Sparrow has got a right grump on because the Blackbird is exactly where all the local sparrow tribe like to come and dustbathe. Not much chance of that with such a great lump of flea-flusher flopped all over it.
And, finally, I chanced upon another youngster dozing in the sunshine on a bit of warm earth outside the back door, deep in the dreams of youth.
Oh, how I enjoyed tiptoeing up to see how close I could get before those ears or nose twitched in realisation that it might be time to skidaddle. I like the Foxes in my garden to remain somewhat wary and wild, as I think that will serve them well in life, so I need then to be a little bit more on their toes than this!
"Oh cripes, I've been spotted. Whadda I do?!"
What do the youngsters of today think it is? The summer holidays?!
If you want to drop by my RSPB wildlife gardening blog, it is updated every Friday, and I'd love to see you there - www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/hfw