Fledglings are doing well

I keep seeing the young robins all about the place now. They are even able to catch their own grub. About a week ago, they just pecked bits on the ground that looked like food. Now they fill up on all sorts, this one has quite a large worm - I did actually film it trying to swallow the worm but it took 2 minutes and was touch and go for a while there. Normally, the adult birds sort of smear the worms and large insects they catch around the floor, breaking them up a bit, making them easy to eat but this little bird doesn't know that yet.

Springwatch

Yesterday, a great day for wildlife...



The robins have had a second brood of young, there are six chicks, last time only two (well only two survived, not sure how many there were to begin with). They look very newly hatched to me. I think they like this birdbox.



Also, the pond was alive with frogs of all sizes. Tadpoles are getting bigger and last years froglets are about 3cm long in the body.

Spying on you

Bean trench using kitchen waste

Bean Frames

Dug 3 trenches, filled with last years homemade compost and built 3 bean frames, one of which I shall use for the tall peas I'm growing.

Plots at the end of April

Plot 1 or E8a

Plts 2 and 3 or E8 and E7

Homemade compost bean trench

I prepared the ground for climbing beans, dug a trench and filled with the homemade compost from last year. Now, when my seedlings are strong enough, they'll have have place in the world, full of nourishing food.

Fledgling Robin

One of the two babies our resident Robins have produced from the luxury of their birdbox, the first time they've used it, I think its been up for 2 years. Anyway, it has been such a joy watching them feeding their young. Really worth building a nesting box if you have the time.

Also, check this out, I found some bean seed that was covered in little weevils, rather than sqidging them, I let nature take its course..what with two hungry babies to feed..

So sorry about my extremities getting in the shot, please ignore.

Robins feeding

Small but perfectly formed

Discovered this cauliflower, can't quite work out if it's way too early or very late, I think it's probably last years.

Pricking out and potting on

I chose the strongest seedlings and potted on, in small pots, these lovely early purple sprouting broccoli seedlings.

Potatoes

Digging out the Mare's Tail and working in manure and digging trenches - this is brutal work. An excellent workout though.

Spring Flowers

11th April Plot

Blossom

spring's on its way

Moody view and garlic progress

Frog Spawn

East Finchley Snow Plots

Couldn't get to the plots on Monday when it actually snowed but managed it yesterday and they looked glorious, in the sunlight too, the place was lit up.

Pieces of the clouds fell to earth and landed on me fennel.

gorgeous views of east finchley plots

Promise of rhubarb to come...

Winter Fungus

The bundle of lichen logs I tied up some time ago has sprouted an as yet unidentified fungus.

See blog entry here for previous info.

Bird tree

Using my lovely apple tree, I filled the gaps in the bark with a variety of seeds. Birds feeding at the moment on the plot: blue tits, great tits, robins, siskins, blackbirds, dunnock, wood pigeon , wren etc.

Early September produce

Growing tomatoes outside proved hazardous again this year but inside the polytunnel on the other hand...

Figs

Figs are slowly ripening on the tree. I love fresh figs, a discovery only made since getting an allotment. I've had maybe one or two figs each time I look. The fact that they are not in abundance makes the experience of eating them the more pleasurable.