At last I can report that the robin has forgiven me. At 4.30 pm today, just as it was going dark, he had a splash about in his new bird bath.

I’d suspected as much for a couple of nights, I just hadn’t seen him do it. What I had seen was a lot of ‘splashed’ water on the table, but now it’s official, we’re back on track.

The bird feeder has been out for a few days now, but it wasn’t until yesterday morning that it got going, in spectacular fashion, when the starlings discovered it again.

They’re feisty, aggressive, argumentative and completely selfish, but they don’t half liven things up around the feeder. We’ve also had a pheasant in the garden today, and when I went in the shed for something this afternoon, I disturbed a small field-mouse, who after his initial surprise, sat on the edge of a washing-up bowl looking at me.

I’ve also seen a rabbit in the field in the last 2 days. I’m not sure if he’s OK though. I thought one of his eyes seemed to be closed, he just doesn’t seem to be acting right. Hope I’m wrong.

The mole is still rampant, and is now invading every part of the garden, despite my best attempts to stop him. He’s driving me mad. He particularly likes to send up his molehills along the straight edges of my flower beds.

Sweet!