"Say goodbye to the summer"

Summer is slowly merging into Autumn; the loganberry, damson and plum harvests have swelled the jam stores in the pantry and already we are collecting apple and pear windfalls. It seems incredible that just a couple of months ago we were concerned that the wet weather would have a severe impact on the harvest. Yet now as we look at the panorama surrounding the Rectoryreserve we see a patchwork of yellow stubble and brown plough interspersed with the green of sugar beet and grazing land and, with all the corn safely gathered, next weekend's Harvest Festival is almost overdue. Even the last of our swallow fledgelings are about to depart. Yesterday they were being fed in the nest for the final time (the picture shows the mother bringing flies to the little ones in their nest); today is all about flying lessons; this is the last of about 6 groups to have hatched in the horses' barn this summer. In just a few days they too will be off on their long journey south. It will be sad to see them go; their constant chirruping in the eaves will be much missed. On the other hand, the horses and I will be pleased to no longer be the recipients of their 'disposals'.

The remaining four orphan ducks have also left the safety-keeping of Daffodil and her chick in the baby pen and joined the 'big flock' in the main Poultry Palace enclosure. It was all a bit traumatic; lots of quacking and squeaking accompanied their attempts to join the crowd in the pond. All the 'established' ducks were very territorial and it took a good hour for two of the orphans to assert themselves sufficiently to get into just one small corner.... and the rest of the day for the other two to summon up the courage to join them. However, by evening there was no question that they were part of the flock as they all waddled off into the Palace together at dusk. It won't be long before we'll be unable to tell them apart from the others.

Although Daffodil and her chick were also able to go in and out of the baby pen at will all day, they chose to return to the safety of their own little house for the night. Since the chick is still so small it will probably be a few weeks before Daffodil trusts the others not to squash it! As it was, she was fighting anyone who dared come near it during the day. Talk about Mother Hen!