Peel me a grape...

Well, who would have guessed that magpies are so fond of grapes? I put the remains of a slightly mouldy bunch out on the lawn for the blackbirds and within minutes there were three magpies swooping in and gathering them up. They can even fit two in their beaks!!

It's been a fairly chilled sort of day. There was fog first thing this morning, so I put Alex on the train, and was back home by 7.10am leaving plenty of time to finish painting the skirting boards, do a load of washing and make some biscuits. I took Ben ice-skating this afternoon with the local home-ed group, and afterwards a couple of families came back for tea and cakes.

It was great to catch up with all their news, though I did keep getting distracted by groups of starlings flying around the garden prior to roosting in a neighbour's conifers. Our own mini-murmuration! And I had a very close view of a sparrowhawk as it flashed into the pear tree.

I'm blipping early tonight as we're off to a talk on hares. I'll catch up with you all tomorrow... but in the meantime many thanks to everyone for yesterday's hearts and stars - I'm chuffed!