While I slept, Jeremy heard a loud bellowing from the paddock. He rushed outside to investigate and Ruth was giving birth – one kid, two kids and then a third.

Dear Ruth is working hard to clean them and encouraging them to eat. Click below

With a bit of help from us, they are latching on and learning to suck. They will have to take turns. Click below

She needs a lot of love and attention

And a good helping of mange tout

And picking pink currants and gooseberries

And good morning mother and chick

Thanks to my friend and neighbour Kate, I followed her example soon after we moved here 13 years ago. She had bird feeders close to her kitchen window and I sited a feeder not far from where I stand at the kitchen sink. We get all sorts of visitors from blue tits to great tits and gold finches and more. Yesterday we had a visit from a young “red head”.

It stayed for ages enjoying the peanuts

Mother hen and her chick have not had the attention that they might have expected Click below just one week old tomorrow

And the sweet peas are filling the house with their beauty and fragrance