An idiots guide to an idiot: Big Garden Bird Watch and Burns Night Supper and Australia Day.

End of January heralds the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch that I've done for the past few years, in many ways in memory of my Mum as she liked birds, though the RSPB use the data to see what's happening with the different species, Greenfinches for instance are getting fewer and fewer. It's very easy to take part and the counter both time (one hour) & bird count is available online so your data can go straight on.

Results from our garden were: 1x Blackbird,12x House Sparrow,2x Goldfinch,1x Wren,1x Dunnock,18 x Starling,1x Wood Pidgeon.
It all went abit berserk when the Starlings descended! A couple of days ago on just glancing out the window I saw 3x Long Tailed Tits, no sign of them today of course! I discussed with Paul my tally and surprisingly it was abit more varied that his, considering they back onto fields and farmland. His was: 5x House Sparrow,2x Blue Tit, 2x Wood Pidgeon, 2x Robin,1x Wren.
A couple of nights ago it was Burns Night. Like last year we had everyone round for a Burns Night Supper. Haggis neeps and taties with salmon for Tara & Oliver. Abit down on numbers as Julian hasn't been well so him & Ella didn't come over and Laura has been ill as well & obviously Alec and Laura are still in Oz. Last year I asked Ellie to recite 'Ode to the Haggis' by Robert Burns but she wouldn't, so given she had a year to prepare I thought we'd get it this year but no! Though I should say she gave us a great rendition of 'Donald where's yer Troosers?' which was much better and a great laugh! The Scots delicacy of Cranachan (basically whipped cream mixed with whiskey, honey and oats layered with raspberries and raspberry puree) was our pudding. A great night!