December2018endedwithamildspellofweatherwhichprolongedtheseasonformanyplants andstartedothersintoearlygrowth.OnJanuary1stIfound,inthegarden,flowersonprimroses, Bergenia,Kaffirlily,hellebores(bothH.niger,H.orientalisandH. foetidus),snowdrops,aconites, Pulmonariaandevenabordercarnationshowingcolourinacoupleofbuds.Thegeraniums, althoughtheyareintheshelterofthehouse,arefloweringbetterthantheydidinthereallyhot weather.Thebegoniacormsthatmadesuchagoodshowinthesummerareallcleanedoffand storedreadyfornextyear.Manyofthemhavequadrupledinsizeandthereisnosignofvine weevildamagesothedosesoftheinsecticideseemtohaveworked.Everyinchofthegreenhouse isnowpackedtightwithallthemoretenderplants;howImanagedtogetthemallinIdon'tknow. Howeversomeofthelargerfuchsiaswillhavetotaketheirchanceoutside,tuckedupagainstthe wallofthehouse.OnDecember13thIsowedthefirstseeds.Thisisnotassillyasitsoundbecause thesearespeciesthatneedacoldspelltogerminate,aprocessknownasstratification.Theywill stayoutinthecoldframeoverwinter.Mostofthesehavebeencollectedfromthewildinfaraway placessuchasNewZealand,Korea,RussiaandKazakhstan.IhopeIcangetthemtogerminateas someofthepacketsonlycontainedfiveorsixseeds.IndoorstheorchidthatImentionedin October,asithadfloweredforthefirsttimeinthreeyears,seemstohavegoneintooverdrive.The firstflowerslastedforweeksandthenastheyfinishedasecondflowerstemappearedandthe buds are about to open. Plants seem to have their own way of doing things.EarlyinDecemberwehadsomeverystrongwindsandIwasshelteringinside.Lookingthrough thewindowtherewerenobirdsaboutatall.Suddenlysomethingmusthavedisturbedthemasa strangelymixedflockappearedtryingtoflyintothewind.Icountedthreebuzzards,fivecrows, threepigeons,twogullsandaheron.Sadlytherewasnopartridgeinthepeartree.Flyingintothe windmusthavebeenhardworkandtheheronimmediatelyturnedaway,thebuzzardssoaredup andawaywiththewind.Thecrowsmadesteadyprogresswheelingawayandthendivingbackinto thewind.Thepigeonsusedadifferentapproachandhuggedthetopsofthehedgeswherethe windwasnotsostrong.Thegullswerelessaffectedandflewswiftlyonregardless,theirflyingskills adaptedtotheblusteringwindsofthecoast.Laterinthedaytheskieswereadullgreyleadcolour whenashaftoflowsunlightlitupaflockofgullsagainstit.Astheywheeledaroundthey disappearedastheirgreybacksmergedwiththebackgroundonlyforthemtoreappearasthesun caughttheirwhiteundersides.Itlookedasifsomeonewasswitchinglightsonandoffinthesky.It isamazingwhatsunlightcando.Onemorning,afteraheavyfrost,thesunhadcomeoutmelting theiceandleavingalargedropofwateroneveryleaf.Thelowangleofthesunbehindme refractedthrougheachdropandthefieldwascoveredwithtwinkling"grassjewels".AsIturnedmy head each droplet changed through the colours of the rainbow. A quite spectacular show.TwooftheyoungcrowshavereturnedbutIamnotsuretheparentsarethatgladtoseethem. Thethirdyoungonehasbeenseenbutnotveryoftenanddoesn'tseemtobepartofthegroup anymore.WhenIthrowsomefoodoutoneoftheolderbirdscawstotelltheothersfoodisthere. Hedoesn'tseemtohavecottonedontothefactthatthisalsoalertsthemagpiesandjackdawsthat appearfromnowhereandthefoodcandisappearrapidly.Acockpheasantisoftenaboutbutwhilst heisawarethatsomethingisgoingonisusuallyheadingintheoppositedirection.Asolitaryblack headedgullisaregularvisitoralthoughatthistimeofyeartheydonothaveblackheads,justa singleblack"ear"spotoneachsideofthehead.Thewoodpigeonshavebeenhavingafeastonthe fruitofthegoldenhornetcrabapple.Atonetimethereweresevenofthemonthetreecontinually overbalancingastheyreachedofthefruit,theyarereallyungainlybirds.TheoverripebananasI putoutfortheblackbirdsseemedtobedisappearingrapidly.EventuallyIspottedtheculprit,the greysquirrelwastuckingintothem.Thewordmusthavegotroundbecauselaterthereweretwoof them.Theyhavestockedupwellforwinterasbothofthemhaveveryfatstomachs.Itisvery amusingwatchingthemsittingtheremunchingonapieceofbanana.Othersightingsthathave beensentinfromaroundthevillageweresomenoisymuntjacs,amessytawnyowlthathad selected a house for a perch and the return of a little egret.I am always interested in other peoples sightings and comments so don't forget to email me.