Weather - Forecast or Fantasy

I should not have taken notice of the local weather forecast this morning: 80% chance of rain all day. So, I postponed my visit to Warnham Nature Reserve and busied myself preparing all the garden bird feeders in readiness for the Big Garden Birdwatch that occurs this weekend. And I did all this in the dry - no sign of rain and it is now 12:30pm. I should have stuck to my original plan. Oh well...

I was watched closely by a Robin as I topped up the feeders - the first Robin I have seen this year. And a juvenile Dunnock showed keen interest in the food that finished up on the ground.

And the Goldfinches got stuck into the sunflower seeds as soon as I disappeared indoors.

Meanwhile I shall have lunch and then continue reading the book about Bletchley Park and the wartime code-breakers......

Three Dead After St Jude Storm

The storm hit the south coast with a vengeance with winds gusting up to hurricane force 100mph. Following the morning's events here there are:

• three reported deaths
• 270,000 homes without power across southern England
• Hundreds of felled trees block road and rail links
• Heathrow cancels 130 flights

My garden shed has been shifted so violently on its foundation it has been twisted from the base up to such a degree that the door will not shut properly. I have had to work up some 'Heath Robinson' repairs to temporarily fix it. Bird feeders were scattered across the garden and my lilac tree has suffered a severe battering. One garden fence panel has been torn apart. The amount of damage is almost as bad as that suffered in the great storm of 1987.

So, I have busied myself this afternoon making a shepherds pie. Comfort food for this evening...