Day 152 # 365DaysWild Thanks to everyone for their amazing support this morning as we sited the house sparrow boxes. Almost all boxes up - a few people out so their boxes still to go. A great team effort from my brother-in-law Roger, RSPB Officer Carl and Friends of Bestwood Country Park amazing naturalist Hayley. Now the long wait till spring!!!! Photos by Hayley ..read more

Day 151 #365DaysWild A dusting of snow across the park. A single snatch of song from a song thrush.  Fieldfares. Acid green siskin and blood orange lesser redpolls in the birch tops ..read more

Day 151 #365DaysWild. Air frost this morning. Pond frozen. First group booking for National Garden Scheme taken for July. Summer feels a long way away this morning ..read more

Day 150 #365DaysWild The full moon now waning above the trees in the the north west. The sun molten on the eastern horizon. Migrant voices across the wet fields lifting rhubarb roots in the soggy ground. A solitary raven big and cronking ..read more

Day 149 #365DaysWild Into the dark days now. Walking before sunset. A busy week ahead with lunch guests most days! But plenty of home-grown vegetables available for … Rich & spiced winter vegetable soup for two* Onion chopped. Leek washed and chopped Olive oil Stir onions & leeks into oil on moderate heat and cover. Stir regularly until slightly caramelised. Grind dessert spoons of coriander and cumin and add. Add crushed garlic cloves  Stir for a few minutes. Add diced squash, kale, potato and carrot. Stir for a few minutes. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a coupl ..read more

Day 148 #365DaysWild A magnificence of oaks!  Each morning these majestic trees accompany me on my walk. Blessed ..read more

Day 146 #365DaysWild Bestwood Country Park for another of our popular bird walks with the Friends of Bestwood Country Park this morning. Glorious autumn day. Pink-footed geese high overhead. Overwintering chiffchaff. Stonechat. Excellent work by the group monitoring water quality in the River Leen in partnership with the Environment Agency ..read more

Day 146 #365DaysWild The first clear night of the winter. Light pollution from the city like a soft halo around the horizon. We’re not down to zero yet but winter has arrived.  After dinner we talk together of how privileged we consider ourselves to be in this house we’ve built. So well-insulated. Using energy we’ve generated on the roof. Heat generated from cold air. During a cost of living crisis with UK homes amongst the worst insulated in Europe, our home is uniformly warm. And so air-tight there aren’t draughts. The chance to build our own home was given to us by my sister J ..read more

Day 145 #365DaysWild The grey sky pressed down during the afternoon. Almost there weeding vegetable garden beds and paths. Three big loads of fresh chippings delivered by arborists. As a thank you gave one Jill’s prize bottle of red wine by mistake. We’ll leave the chip as long as possible before using it but we’re heavy users. On cold mornings the piles steam like mini-volcanoes. We need chip for paths and mulch. It benefits soil fungi, invertebrates, mammals and birds as well as suppressing weeds. It needs to be rotted before going on the soil. This morning I sat in the car with window d ..read more

Day 144 #365DaysWild A must watch. So watch. Complete failure of political leadership ..read more