Woke up early this morning and looked out of the bedroom window and saw a heron standing beside the carp pool. I hope he is not considering raiding the pond for his breakfast. We have put a few strands of line around the edge of the pool to stop him from leaning in and spearing them. He is such an elegant, beautiful bird - graceful in flight and on the ground.

Yesterday, we were sitting in the living room working on the web site and there was a tapping on the window. It was a blue tit trying to pick the putty out.

We have a cheeky robin who lives in the orangery and sings up a storm and a tiny wren who spends a lot of time in the lean to greenhouse. I suppose they are both quite a good source of food for them. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

The swallows left some time ago. You don't immediately miss them and then you suddenly realise that they are no longer swooping over the ponds and busying themselves about the courtyard. Then you know it is the onset of Autumn and Winter.