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?!