Ruth Savery is a founder member and trustee of The Friends of Margravine Cemetery.
She sends regular bulletins to The Friends about flora, fauna and any other news. They are most informative and enjoyable (even if I sometimes think of William Boot’s column Lush Places in The Beast).
Ruth sets the scene: “Still in winter’s grip, twigs are laid bare, weather patterns unpredictable and snow and ice could return so spring may be far away. YET.. there are small signs – a flash of colour from an early crocus, the white of a snowdrop – and swelling birdsong.”
It is the birdsong that I was interested in. Almost the only visitors to the feeders in the garden are tits and I never can tell what sort they are. Now I have no excuse. Text is by Ruth Savery and photographs by Jane Bain.
I hope I have matched captions and photographs correctly. The photographs are superb and the captions helpfully descriptive.
The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens have distressing news in their newsletter.
“Sadly, it’s most likely that Avian Flu has arrived amongst the wild geese, swan and duck population on the Long Water and Serpentine. More than 55 have died recently. Avian Flu couldn’t be confirmed for certain, at the time of writing, because that has to be done by an official from DEFRA and they are busy testing domestic flocks which have to be culled, if positive.
However, the signs are all there and its tragic to see, despite notices everywhere, many people are still feeding the birds encouraging them to jostle tightly and get really close together.”
*****
“Tell us how you feel about submitting a meter read (sic) with British Gas Energy.” Well, on the plus side I didn’t fall down the cellar stairs but a monthly bill for £425 evoked feelings best not shared with British Gas or you.