The Thrifty Magpies Nest

After struggling to find information on the internet about dying bright colours over ginger hair, I thought it would be helpful, to some, if I post before and after pictures of my result, to help those in the same predicament I was.

When I was an unnatural red head I used the colour Rose Red by La Riche Directions to give my hair a boost of colour and hydration. The colour sits on the hair rather than changing the pigmentation of your hair, meaning it conditions brilliantly and doesn’t damage the hair.

A few months ago a stripped my dyed red hair with Colour B4 with the intention of bleaching the ends and going a bright colour. But annoyingly my hair is too damaged from the years of dying it red, to risk putting bleach on it. Most red hair dyes contain peroxide that lightens your natural hair, so that the red colour comes out bright.

I was left with a light ginger colour which I quite liked, but was disappointed that I wouldn’t be having turquoise or purple hair anytime soon. After a couple of months I dyed my roots a mid brown and pulled it half way down my head to blend in smoothly with the ginger lengths. It looked quite natural, but I wanted a bright colour!

The photos of my ginger hair were taken when I had just washed and blow-dried it. My hair is naturally dry and wispy but the damage to the lengths is quite apparent. Luckily, my hair looks healthier once it has been straightened and smoothed with serum.

The Red Rose colour from La Riche Directions is a bright, dark pink but I didn’t have a clue how it would turn out over my dyed and stripped hair. After chatting to a few helpful people on Twitter I just went for it. I’m very surprised and happy with the result.

The colour has taken well to all areas, including the dyed brown roots. The ends are a slightly brighter shade compared to the roots but it isn’t very noticeable when my hair is down. The pigment will wash out from the lengths faster as that hair is damaged and brittle, so I predict the upkeep will be tedious.

Red Rose stains everything, so gloves are a must as is lashings of cream cleaner on all your bathroom surfaces! It can come off on your pillow or collar before the first wash, too (luckily my pillow cases are pink). I put Vaseline over my face, neck and shoulders to reduce the inevitable dyed skin. I then use an abrasive hand cleaner, such as Swarfega, to scrub any dyed skin. It works best on dry skin so do this before washing the colour out or/and after your hair is dried. If you have sensitive skin you will probably sting and go red but I prefer that to a pink neck!

So, if you have dyed mid-brown hair or/and ginger hair, you CAN have bright hair. Go for it!

PS. It's rather difficult to take hair selfies, hence the grainy, blurred photos.

Another Christmas has whizzed by and a New Year has begun. Inbetween the celebrations we visited Dave’s parents in Northumberland and scaled a hill I have wanted to climb since our first hike in the Cheviot Hills last December.

The Cheviot is the largest hill in the Cheviot Hills and is also the last accent on the Pennine Way. It stands 815m and provides an epic view of the Northumberland coast.

Our hike started 3 miles earlier than we initially planned. One thing I always bear in mind when planning is a route is the possibility it may need to be changed due to weather. The drive up the A1 was clear but after turning off towards Wooler, the snow-topped hills came into view and the roads grew icier as we travelled. The traditional route starts at a small gathering of houses called Langleeford at the bottom of the remote Harthope Valley. However, the icy roads and a daunting steep single-track road leading into the valley caused us to leave the car and tackle the road on foot.

Although there were many opportunities to climb out of the valley and onto the hill tops, we thought it would be wise to stick to the road to ensure we had plenty of time, before the daylight disappeared. And a wise decision it was: The snow became deeper, the path disappeared and the accent was hard.

Normally, I prefer walks free of people, but on this day I was thankful another couple, who we switched positions with along the way, took the same route. It even was more comforting when a man overtook us with his walking poles and ski goggles with a cheery yell of “only another 20 minutes ‘till you will be at the top. I’m meeting my son and his friend who are running up the other side of the hill”. My mouth dropped open as I followed his pointing finger has he gestured the route his son was taking up an equally steep hill at the other side of the valley then around to summit of where we were heading. I admire fell runners. I don’t know how it is physically possible to run in 2 feet of snow up a steep hill.

As the hill plateaus close to the summit, the path crosses a fence via style. The wind and ice had formed a stunning sculpture around the mesh of the fence.

The summit was truly bitter but the trig point provided enough shelter for us to much down our ham sandwiches and a mug of hot chocolate. The descent was more enjoyable as we could leap down with wide strides with the snow cushioning our landing; a change from the normal knee pain I suffer from on descents. The 3 mile walk back along the valley road seemed much longer than on the way!

The Cheviot is a walk I recommend to any walker in search of a challenging climb and rewarding views without the business of the Lake District. The Cheviot Hills are bleak but stunning and I can’t wait to return.

Did you go on a walk in the holidays?

This weird and wonderful form is the cross section of a hornet nest. The nest that was in the wendy house I wrote about earlier in the year.

I have been waiting patiently for the colder weather to arrive which kills off the sterile female workers, males and old queen, so I could remove the nest and chop it in half on the bandsaw. A nest is only used for a season, so no harm is caused to our buzzy beasts by removing it.

A wasp queen makes most of a nest by herself with pulp she has made from stripping wood from trees, fences and sheds using her mouth parts. She nurses her grubs in the hexagonal cells and the sterile female wasp children grow to become her slaves, helping her to expand the size of the nest and build new nursery cells. This nest is about 30cm in diameter- fancy making that using just your moth and legs!

Here are some close up shots of this incredible structure.

The hexagonal shaped cells where the grubs are hatched and nurtured are unbelievable perfect. It's difficult to comprehend how animals can create perfection without the aid of computer software, a calculator or a ruler. For us to draw a hexagon freehand wouldn't produce such consistent and accurate results.

The layer and different wood species used to make the paper create beautiful patterns.

The hornet nest cross section has taken pride of place on the nature shelves. I frequently stop and study the incredible architecture of the nest as I pass by the shelves, wondering how such tiny little beasts with such tiny little brains could form such a piece of art and with such accuracy. Amazing, isn't it?

As spring is fast approaching, I have been keen to make a vegetable patch but living in a wood can make usually simple tasks, more difficult. The issue is trees. They are always in he bloomin’ way. So, this weekend we started to clear an area of trees to make way for the future food growing zone. Trees not only take up so much space, they also shade the ground making it hard for smaller plants to grow.

I was super pleased to be sent a pair of leather gloves from Sutton Seeds to protect my hands while working in the wood. They are waterproof and lined with a soft fabric for ultimate comfort. They fit snugly to my hands and provided excellent protection throughout the day.

This is the area where the vegetable patch will be dug. The dog pen will be moved somewhere else.

Felling trees is always difficult in a wood because guess what’s in the way; trees! When a tree is cut, the top can fall then get caught up in neighbouring trees, making them very difficult to get down. We used a winch to guide the trees in the direction we wanted them to fall, but it doesn’t always go to plan.

The falling tree doesn’t look as impressive in the photo as it did at the time it was falling!

The evergreen tree is a Californian redwood that will benefit from the trees around it being removed, allowing it to get more light.

It's hard to see the how clear the area is compared to before in a photo. There will be plenty of room for an orchard, a vegetable plot and the raspberry canes.

The brash from the trees was burnt as there was so much of it. The trunks will be cut into logs to put on the wood burner.

I’m a bit jerky with the timber forwarder but its fun getting some practice. It makes manoeuvring the heavy tree trunks a doddle.

It was dark by the time we had finished so couldn’t get a photo of the result, However, there’s still quite a few trees in the area to come down so I can do an update in the next few weeks.

This weekend why not spend an hour watching and counting the birds in your garden, yard or local park? Bird numbers help determine the health of the environment and the RSPB want as many people as possible to help with the biggest wildlife survey in the World. It’s great fun however good or bad your bird ID skills are. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn about birds if you don’t know your blackbird from your blue tit. Last year, around half a million people too part right across the UK including families, schools and care homes.

You can do it for any hour on either Saturday or Sunday and there’s loads of info the RSPB to help you identify those feathered creatures in the garden. Register your details on the website and you will get a free information pack here.

I was encouraged to identify and watch birds form a young age by my step dad who has a great breadth of knowledge, of which he has passed on to me. Although, I can only dream if ever knowing as much as he does. The Big Garden Birdwatch is the perfect opportunity to get young ones interested in wildlife and, speaking from experience, is a rewarding activity to do as a family.

If don't already feed the birds in your garden it may be worth putting out some food tomorrow (Friday) so your local birds can familiarise themselves with the it before your survey hour. If you haven't got any bird feeders, don't worry, you can improvise. Check out the home made feeder made from a plastic bottle below.

Source credit:Tobyotter

Bird seed can be picked up from the local pet shop or supermarket but if you don't have time to pop out, just stand on a couple of apples to crush them open slightly and chuck them outside in view from your window. Bread fills the stomachs of birds quickly but has little nutrition so shouldn't be given to birds regularly. It's OK to give them a bit now and again though, so throw some out if you can't get hold of any seed.

These are birds commonly found in gardens across the UK and this ID sheet is a great tool to help identify and count the birds you see during your hour-long survey. To get a bigger version of the sheet just click on the image and it will take you to the RSPB website where you can print it off.

Last of all, have fun and I hope you get lots of lovely birds visiting you in your chosen hour.

Will you be taking part?

Fingal’s Cave

Image source

The stunning hexagonal-shaped columns in the cave of Staffa looke carved, like a cathedral, yet they are naturally formed basalt rock created from cooling lava. I’m a sucker for rock formations and I would love to see the scale of the cave in real life. Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, can only be reached by boat and is uninhabited- perfect.

Giant’s Causeway

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Formed in the same way as Fingal’s Cave, and by the same lava flow, The Giant’s Causeway is located on the coast of Northern Ireland. Legend has it that both the Giant’s Causeway and Fingal’s Cave are the end sections of a bridge built by the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (a.k.a. Finn McCool) to Scotland, so he could reach and fight Benandonner, his gigantic Scottish rival.

White-tailed sea eagles on Mull

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I would love to see a white-tailed sea eagle and the Isle of Mull off the coast of Scotland provides the best opportunity to see one. This majestic bird is the largest bird of prey in the UK and became extinct in the early 1900’s. Thanks to several reintroduction programmes between 1985 and 2012, the bird has a stronghold in Scotland. This fab site has lots of info on the beautiful eagle

The Isle of Mull is known for its diversity of wildlife and I still haven’t been. I’m trying to persuade Dave that we should go to Mull this spring, but he wants to visit the Cairngorms as he hasn’t been and we went toured the West Coast of Scotland a couple of years ago.

Whales in the Hebrides

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Did you know that we get Killer Whales in our UK seas? How cool is that?! And I want to see them. And dolphins. And other whales. They can be seen around the Hebridean Islands and, conveniently, boat tours operate from the Island of Mull to Fingal’s Cave with whale watching on the way, meaning I could tick three sights off my list in one day!

The bird migration on the Norfolk coast

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Every Autumn, especially in the month of October, thousands of birds arrive from Scandinavia via the shores of Norfolk while others pass by on their way to warmer climates, leaving the UK behind. Hundreds of species pass Norfolk on their travels including different species of thrush, owl, warbler, shearwater, skua, and goose. Holme Bird Observatory, The Wash and the RSPB Titchwel reserve are ideal places to observe flocks of birds build up their fat reserves for their long journey ahead. For any birdwatcher the migration spectacle is a must, and one I haven’t seen.

Thatched house villages in Cotswold

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My eyes have witnessed the postcard-perfect thatched cottages of the Cotswolds, fronted with flowering Wisteria set against perfect clear skies, only on Television programmes such as Location Location Location and Escape to the Country. I dream of walking down their quaint village streets and chatting to locals over their stone walls. My normal UK destinations of choice are ‘up North’ so venturing south for a week would feel like a foreign holiday in the sun.

Stars and planets at Kielder Observatory

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Set in the darkest skies in England, the Kielder Observatory hosts night events to spectate the wonders of our universe through inspiring lectures and star-gazing workshops. Northumberland International Dark Sky Park is the largest Dark Sky Park area of protected night sky in Europe, so what better place to go than here? We plan to spend a weekend camping in the Northumberland Nation Park and spend the Saturday night at one of the observatory events. Looking at their website, the events book up very quickly, with some events sold out for the rest of the year!

The Aurora Borealis

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The Northern Lights have been witnessed right here in Yorkshire, but not by my eyes. Like something out of a dream, this phenomenon is more likely to be witnessed the further North you are. The Kielder Observatory has specific Aurora Borealis events throughout the year but there is no guarantee they will be visible on the night. I follow @aurorawatchuk on Twitter who posts alerts when visibility is likely.

What would your eyes like to see?

The emergence of snow drops is a sure sign that spring is on its way, yet the recent snow and icy mornings is a reminder that we still have several more weeks until we start seeing true signs of the season change. We may still be in winter mode; spending our days huddled by the radiator, yet many of our feathered friends are already seeking nesting spots with their mates!

According to the British Trust of Ornithology (BTO) our garden birds have suffered a decline in nesting sites as we have an increasing tendency to tidy up gardens and renovate houses, leaving less nooks and crannies for birds such as robins, starlings, great tits, blue tits and marsh tits to nest.

The lovely people at Living With Birds sent me one of these amazing boxes to put up in the wood. The box has a pre-drilled hole meaning it can be hung within minutes.

I chose to put it on a tree close by the bedroom windows so we can, hopefully, get a great view of the future occupiers raising their chicks from the house. Of course, I shall be posting updates in the coming months and, fingers crossed, will manage to snap some pictures of chicks being fed.

To celebrate National Nest Box week which takes place between 14th and 21st February, Living With Birds and The Thrifty Magpies Nest have collaborated to give one lucky winner of the giveaway below, an official cedar wood National Nest Box Week nest box. The box is worth £22.95 and is constructed of hard wearing cedar wood that will last for years.

The giveaway is open to UK mainland residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Advertised on:

theprizefinder.com

Since getting hens and feeding the birds in the garden we have had a big problem: Rats!

Rats tend to leave fields after harvest in search of cosier place to live with a good supply of food and safe places to breed. We knew it would happen and as wildlife lovers the odd rat doesn’t bother us. However, when they started gnawing at the wooden parts of the underside of the house (it’s on stilts) and digging the ground to create extensive networks of runs, the sound kept us awake at night and the damage was unforgivable. Within a couple of weeks there were holes everywhere and I would catch the blighters in the chicken enclosure stuffing their bellies with layer pellets. The pile of food waste in the compost bin had disappeared and had definitely not turned into compost.

Sadly, we needed to take action as the situation was just worsening. Rats are prolific breeders and can have babies from just 12 weeks old. As long as there is a good food supply, they can breed continuously, all year round. If a single rat has 5 litters a year of up to 11 young, that’s 55 rats enjoying all the food we are indirectly feeding them. Then if each of those rats can produce another 11 rats each after just three months, then, well…..that’s a hell of a lot of rats!

As well as being fantastic breeders, they are also highly intelligent, fast to react and fast to learn. This makes exterminating them very difficult. We have, and only ever will, opt for either trapping them in live traps, in traps that kill them instantly or shooting them with the rifle. Being as humane as possible is important to us.

The first action was to remove the bird feeders and stop putting vegetable waste in the compost bin. Instead, I now put the waste in the council brown bin, for now. The dog is fed in the house, rather than outside, as we frequently found a rat sitting in the dog bowl, happy as pie. Although it didn’t make much of a difference, I started to put the layers pellets for the hens into a dish, rather than onto the ground. The idea being the chickens would devour the food before rats could get to it, and to reduce the amount of food getting trampled into the ground which could be missed by the hens, but found by the rats. It hasn’t worked. The hens still leave some food and I have seen the rats munching away at the food in the dish.

To begin with, we were catching at least one rat per night and successfully did so for a couple of months. However, the little so-and-sos learnt our tactics and avoided the traps. One evening we spotted 5 young rats on the deck feeding on the seed that falls from the bird feeders. Any movement caused them to scarper; they were very cautious. We ran out and set a baited trap up right in the middle if the bird sees spillage and returned to the living room, hoping to get at least one of them. We watched while the rats returned to the deck and nibbled away at the seed. But they didn’t go near the trap. They didn’t look at it; sniff it; nothing.

The other trap-related problem is mice and voles. They are too light to set off the traps but this allows them to clear the traps of all the bait, thus making them less appealing to rats. This meant that the positioning of traps would be the only attack we would have. Rats tend to run along the side of boundaries such as fences and walls. Positioning the traps in such a way that the rats would accidentally run across one would prove to be the most effective tactic.Between September and December of last year we've caught 33 rats!

The situation does seem to be better now. There’s less ratty evidence and the house-gnawing has all but stopped. I’m feeding the birds again, but only when it’s frosty and very cold. I still see the odd flash of brown when I close the hens for the night, but like I said; the odd one is OK. We just need to keep them under control.

Have you had trouble with rats? If so, how did you get on top of the situation?

Image sources:

1. Edwyn Anderton
2. Aspex Design: Photos by Dean Thorpe

3. Nikon Ranger

Many of my friends have their cars on hire purchase schemes or pay for their autos monthly. But for a thrifty (tight) couple like us, buying a new car isn’t cost effective. As soon as a new car is driven out of the garage forecourt it depreciates massively. I also prefer to own my car outright and wouldn’t borrow money for one.

Buying a used car can be daunting, especially if you don’t know much about cars. But armed with the wonders of the internet, along with a determined approach, you can save lots of money throughout the lifecycle of car ownership.

Here are my favourite websites I have used for every stage of buying and owning a car:

Choosing

Parkers
Do you scrutinise hotels and restaurants on Trip Advisor before booking? If so, you will love the Parkers website. You can look at reviews for pretty much any car form real people who have owned them. It shows a whole host of other useful information such as the model’s tax price, luggage capacity and engine size, and also has a tool to compare different models side by side.

Buying

eBay
Finding a used car is made so easy with the internet. One can view cars for sale from all corners of the UK, from the comfort of the sofa. Using sites like eBay not only show pretty much all cars for sale (because pretty much every seller uses it) it also helps you benchmark the value of a car based on factors such as its age, condition and mileage. If you are able to pay for the car through PayPal (most sellers ask for cash) you will also have that little bit of extra protection/piece of mind in case the item isn’t as described.

Autotrader
Once a magazine, now also a very useful website where people can sell their cars. Each listing provides specifications of the car on sale, making it simple to compare factors such as fuel efficiency.

Insuring

Comparison websites

There are so many comparison sites that pretty much all do the same thing. I was told that all the insurance comparison sites use the same back end system which may be the reason prices go up each time you check a difference comparison site. My advice is to choose one site and don’t keep re-running your application for the same car. I also recommend phoning up your chosen dealer to confirm all your details and go direct through them to haggle a better price.

Fixing

Haynes manual
As soon as you buy a car, buy the Haynes manual for your model on Amazon. It will cost you around £20 and will provide easy to understand, step by step details on how to fix your car. Somethings you may want to leave to a mechanic, but it will save you money if you do the easier things, such as replacing a light bulb or fuse, yourself.

YouTube
From how to fix your hair to how to fix your car- YouTube is amazing. Real people providing real step by step guides that anyone can watch. Last week, my left indicator failed, and Dave watched a YouTube tutorial to see how to remove the airbag from the steering column. And, the best bit; it’s free!

Forums
There are hundreds off car related forums on the internet. Just type in your car issue into Google and it is highly likely you will get loads of result. It can be time consuming to trawl through forums, reading conversations, but the time is well spent as it can help you diagnose an issue, or at least, rule out causes. When you take your car to the garage, the mechanic will charge you for looking for the causes of an issue. Sometimes it is a case of trial and error, resulting in a hefty bill. If you can test a few things yourself first, then you could save yourself lots of money. Simple things such as changing the fuel filter can relieve many symptoms and is often the first thing a garage will do, and charge you for.

Parts

Point S
This site is great for finding car tyres at the best price. Just enter the size of your tyre and your postcode and it will list the best prices from businesses in your local area. The size is displayed on the side of your car tyres or you can just Google to find it out.

eBay
Genuine and copy car parts are easy to buy from eBay, and are often a lot cheaper than what your garage will charge you. Small parts which you can easily change yourself, such as window wipers, fuses and lightbulbs can be posted direct to your door.

Sellers often ‘brake’ cars and sell the parts on eBay. If you are looking for a very specific part such as a silver electric wing mirror for a Peurgeot 206, chances are someone will be selling one from an old car on eBay. Sellers often just list the whole car for ‘spares’ so contact them through eBay and ask them how much they will sell the part you need, for. Buying a second hand part is 99% of the time cheaper and equally as good as buying a brand new part.

Yellowpages
Scrap yards also sell parts of cars so get on the Yellowpages website and search for your local scrap yard to call. Some scrap yards will remove the car part from the original car to hand to you, whereas others expect you to remove the part yourself. Paddy the pooch has chewed through a total of 6 seat belts in Ian’s car now, and each time he has got a new one from the scrap yard for £5 apiece.

Euro Car Parts
Sometimes a brand new part is better, or even necessary, over a second hand part. Things such as brake pads and calipers (I write form experience) need to be new. Europarts are located in most major towns and items can be reserved over the phone or over the internet and collected from the counter or posted out.

I've used all these websites to help save me money on my cars over the years. I've learnt new skills, such as replacing brake pads, too.

I love telling my friends about them, so they can also save money. A few years back, a friend had her wing mirror kicked off by a vandal and it was going to cost a lot of money to buy a brand new one. I recommended she called the local scrap yard and they had one in stock for a fraction of the cost.

If you are normally the type of person to take your car to the garage for things such as changing bulbs, wipers and filters, then why not have a go at doing it yourself, learn a new skill and save a few bob all at the same time?

PS. What websites do you use to save money on your car?

Look who’s arrived at the wood! 6 new hens!

Last September I bought 6 point of lay hens in an effort to be a bit more self-sufficient and also because I absolutely love keeping chickens.

I worked out the cost of keeping the hens and the income I could generate from the surplus eggs to prove they are worth keeping.

All six hens were laying by November (it can take a while for young ladies to start laying and the winter weather can slow them down) and we were overflowing with eggs throughout December. We ate boiled eggs for breakfast, scrambled eggs for lunch, huge Victoria sponges and bread and butter puddings to the point we were almost egged-out!

Quite handily (and planned), I work in a city-based office with over 100 employees and they were the target for new eggy business. At the start of the New Year, a group email to everyone in the building was extremely well received and within the same day all unlaid eggs were accounted for, for a full two weeks! I was so eggcited (I’m so funny) about bringing in boxes full of eggs and delivering them to my customers’ desks. It did mean that our household were on an egg-eating ban for around a month as I put the customers first during the initial rush.

The initial influx of orders tailed off and now I have 4 steady customers who I supply to. These customers take a total of 24 eggs per week, generating a net profit of £4 per week.

Considering the chickens eat about £10 worth of food a month, the £16 made from selling eggs is working out nicely. I’m not actually making a profit yet as the initial cost of purchasing the hens (£60) hasn’t been covered but over time I will get there.

For the last couple of weeks, I have only been getting 5 eggs per day, meaning one hen isn’t laying. It’s quite normal for hens to stop laying in winter so I’m not worried. However, it does impact how many eggs we have to sell, and how may we have to eat ourselves.

So, I made a slight drastic decision to ‘invest’ back into the business and increase my flock by 100%!

This is what the balance sheet looks like to date:

Costs to date:
Chickens £96
Food £80 (enough left for another month)

Income to date:
Sales £44

Balance:
-£132

Now, I have one little, tiny-weeny issue; I am starting a new job in a month’s time and therefore will lose my current customer base. By this time the new hens should have started to lay so there is a possibility we will, once again, be overrun with eggs. However, I am crossing my fingers that there will be lots of potential customers at my new office! I also plan to start selling eggs by the roadside, with an honesty box, but fear the lack of passers-by due to it been a back road will mean I don’t sell many.

Either way, even if they don’t balance on the books, I still love keeping hens and it will always be worth my time and effort :)

source: shikigami2011

We’ve spent the best part of 5 weekends preparing an area of the wood to become a forest garden. It’s taken a lot of work and it still isn't ready for all the plants quite yet.
The fruit trees are in but the black current and redcurrant bushes need relocating to the area along with the raspberry canes. Vegetables will be sown next month, as will the herbs.

Until I had seen an awesome documentary called ‘Farm for the Future’ while studying Countryside Management’, I didn’t fully understand the purpose and role of forest gardens. However, seeing real case studies and interviews with people who run forest gardens inspired me, as did the motive for a more sustainable way of farming. If you haven’t seen it, you can see it here. I recommend it to anyone.

The documentary tackles the issue of intensive farming and their practices that are ultimately leading to a monoculture environment that is killing biodiversity, and our future. It’s a subject close to my heart and their solution is forest gardening. Ironically, forests are also close to my heart and I am lucky to be in a position to be able to grow one.

Our long-term aim is to become more self-sufficient; growing as much of our own food as possible, keeping livestock and ultimately living off the land. However, we are both career focused people who enjoy working in offices and the money we make. We love travelling, visiting friends and the finer things in life such as eating out and staying away. This may be contradictory to the typical ethos of self-sufficiency living, but we aren’t the type of people to conform to expectations. We just do what we feel is right for us. We aim to find a balance between enjoying our corporate careers while living a bit more sustainably than the average Joe.

What is a forest garden?

A forest garden is a sustainable food production system based on woodland ecosystems. Plants with yields beneficial to humans such as fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs and vegetable plants are grown alongside each other in a way that they can benefit each other in terms of pest control, pollination, maximising space and providing habitats for beneficial creatures. A layering system ensures vertical space is utilised. The aim is to create a low-maintenance; sustainable plantation that produces food for humans, that also benefits wildlife.

Beautiful example of a forest garden
Source: London Permaculture

What will we grow?

We are still learning about and planning our forest garden so we only have initial plans. So far we have several fruit trees including pear, cherry, damson and plumb. We already have a redcurrant bush, a blackcurrant bush and have just bought several gooseberry brushes. The raspberry canes are quite established already but we will move them to the forest garden area. There’s a good ground covering of wild strawberries next to the house that produces the tiniest fruit. Their produce can’t be classed as a yield but the plants may help other plants (need to look into this). I will take some from this area and move them to the forest garden. We may also introduce some domestic varieties of strawberry. I would love to have a large area dedicated to a variety of herbs that will be great for cooking but also be aesthetically pleasing. The greenhouse is located in front of the forest garden and will be used to house tomatoes and peppers. As for the vegetable area, well, we will grow as many vegetable as possible!

Plants should be intermixed in a forest garden and a layering system applied (see image below). This is the bit I need to research further to ensure plants are put in the right places. I also need to understand which plants to grow. At the moment I’m planning to throw everything in.

There are several forest gardens around the UK that have open days and work days and some even run course. I would love to visit one and learn directly from the people that take care of them.

I will be posting on the progress of the forest garden area and will be snapping pictures along the way. If you are interested in following our journey then follow this blog on Bloglovin’ here and Instagram here

Stay tuned!

This photo may not look like much but I am super happy about it. That's a fox's blurry back end in the left of the photo!

Last Monday I set the camera up overlooking a ground hole in the wood that had recently been excavated by an animal. The smell around the hole indicted that it was a fox that had been digging in the area.

We raked the soft sand that had been dug from the hole so that any new footprints would be visible and indicate an animal had returned.

I left the camera for 5 nights and retrieved it this afternoon. We were excited to find fresh prints in the soft sand. They are definitely that of a fox.

The hole is at the bottom of the photo in the centre. The orange sand that has been excavated has several paw prints from a fox.

Impressions from the claws are clearly visible on the left side of this print.

Excitedly I removed the camera quickly and retreated away from the hole so as not to disturb the fox if it is down the hole, and so that as little of our scent as possible is left lingering around the area.

Hurrah! Two photos and one video of a fox!

The fox is just left of the orange coloured sand.

The fox tail is easily identifiable and the entrance to the hole is the dark area just to the right of the tail.

The fox appears to stop, look directly at the camera and tilt its head inquisitively. Maybe the fox could smell my scent on the camera.

The camera was set up to take a photo followed by a 60 second video. Annoyingly, it looks like the fox has come out of the hole and taken several steps before the camera has snapped the photos.

The photos are blurry but the video is clear. Still a fantastic result for my first time catching foxes on camera.

I shall recharge the batteries and place the camera back by the hole but try a different position. If the camera looks towards the entrance as though it is looking inside, then maybe it will have a better chance of capturing the fox coming out of, or going into, the hole.

It will be amazing if the fox has a mate and they plan to have their cubs in the earth. Foxes mate between January and March and cubs are born 58 weeks later. Cubs will venture out of the earth at around four to five weeks of age. So hopefully we may see some cubs around April or May time. This gives me plenty of time to get the camera settings and location perfect for capturing them on camera.

In the last post, I announced the arrival of the 6 new ladies in my life. They join our existing flock to bring us to a total of 12 hens.

I intended to re-home some ex-caged hens but the person I was put in contact with said they weren’t having a clear out for a while. She was, however, getting some new stock and said I could order some point of lay hens for just £6 each, from her. That’s a good price as I paid £10 per bird from another local breeder.

There were a couple of weeks to wait before they were ready to go and I eagerly awaited the phone call. When the cal came, Dave and I popped down the road to collect them the following morning.

They were in a very small crate when we arrived and their feathers were scraggly from the cramped conditions. I instantly noticed that they have been debeaked which saddened me, but at least these 6 hens have escaped their original destiny. You may notice in the first picture that the end section of the hen's top beak is missing. Debeaking is the process for laying hens having their top beaks removed, usually with a hot blade, without anesthetic. It’s a treatment all industry caged hens, and even ‘free range’ hens get, to stop them damaging each other from pecking. They live in such small spaces that they can’t run away from each other and can therefore sustain constant pecking from hens higher up the status ladder. The cramped nature also makes hens attack each other more aggressively.

The process is controversial and there is pressure for it to be banned. Studies prove the birds feel the pain at time of removal and also long term pain is endured, often changing their natural behaviour; they peck at their environment less and shake their heads less after drinking and eating. You can read more about it on this website I researched.

The ban hasn’t gone through yet, with the argument that an alternative solution to protect hens from being pecked is required for their welfare.

Surely the solution is obvious; more space to roam and act naturally? Pecking is completely natural as chickens need to establish a hierarchy among their flock. But the change in behaviour due to cramped conditions leads to cannibalism. It’s not natural.

Anyway, back to my hens…

They were destined to be caged hens and so far they are acting like them. For the first week they didn't dare come out of the coop and when I carried them out of it, after two days of hiding in there, they ran back in! The original 6 ladies, Clementine, Peach, Sienna, Ginger, Pumpkin and Paprika have been hen-pecking them a lot. It’s upsetting to witness but it’s natural and they have lots of room to get away from each other.

One of the new hens is definitely bolder than the others (the one stood in the doorway of the coop in the photo above) and will peck seed from the tray at the same time as the original ladies. They have started to establish a new order and should start hanging out together in a few weeks. At the moment they are divided into two distinct groups.

The new hens have learnt to enjoy the outside and dash around the enclosure, in what appears to be joy, with their wings open when I let them out of their coop on a morning.

I'm sad that my hens look quite ugly with their wonky beaks and the thought that they may still endure pain, but I am happy that they are now enjoying a new life in a woodland environment with lots of space to roam. I let them all out of the enclosure and into the wood to roam freely last weekend. The new hens were cautious but curious. They scratted the ground in search of food which was lovely to watch. I don't let them out of their enclosure when no one is around because we have foxes in the wood and don't want to risk them being killed!

One last word…

Please support local, true free range hen owners and buy your eggs from them. These hens will lead a happy life, with space to roam and full beaks!

PS. If you don’t already, follower me on Twitter and Instagram

for chookdates (yer, I just came up with that).

A couple of weekends ago we stayed at the wonderful Cae Mabon; an eco village hidden away in stunning oak woodland close to Llanberis on the edge of Snowdonia, Wales.

Dubbed the ‘Welsh Shangri-la’, Cae Mabon is a peaceful haven made up of hand built huts constructed from sustainable materials.

We arrived before dark, following the comprehensive instructions from the website. We were directed down a back road which proceeded to get narrower and narrower before taking a steep decent to the car park. The view from the car park was stunning. It looks over Llyn Padarn lake, the town of Llanberis and Snowdon.

After a short walk under a green man carving and downhill on a slate path we reached the village.

The village circles a magnificent thatched Celtic roundhouse where visitors can choose from an array of drums, tambourines and maracas to play around the central open fire. Seven individual huts surround the roundhouse, each with their own unique construction and characteristics.

The owner, Eric Maddern, built the village with help from volunteers and has since been named ‘the number one natural building project in the UK’.

Cae Mabon can cater for up to 30 people. There were 25 in our group plus a toddler, which we felt was a comfortable limit.

I started a group on Facebook as a place to plan hikes and weekends away with my family and friends. In previous years we have scaled Helvellyn and Scafel Pike and this year we wanted to reach the top of Snowdon. One friend is currently studying at the Centre of Alternative Technology, an education and visitor centre in Snowdonia demonstrating practical solutions for sustainability. His friend, who joined our group and brought several friends with her, recommended Cae Mabon as it just across the lake from Llanberis; the town that stands at the foot of Mount Snowdon.

The kitchen is located in a restored cow milking barn and is equipped with a cooking range and all the crockery and cutlery for 30 people. A verity of teas and even hot chocolate is provided, which we obliterated, so left a few pound coins on the shelves to cover the cost of replacing them. The building is a good place for visitors to gather as there are benches, a white board, a stereo and a couple of sofas.

Dave and I slept in the ‘Cob House’ which had a great view across the village, with the tops of the mountains rising above the trees in the background. It's the cream building in the photo above. The huts are basic but are fitted out with beds and mattresses. Visitors need to bring their own bedding and head torches are essential as the village has limited solar powered lighting. We shared our hut with 3 other friends. Dave and I slept in the bunk beds which I found surprisingly comfortable and cosy (and it was quite nice to have a bed to myself!).

The composting toilets are a novelty to those new to the experience. We are well accustomed to them but they may, at first, feel a bit weird to those who haven’t used them before. They are perfectly clean and comfortable, if a little whiffy.

The door of the hobbit hut in the above photo was modeled on the hobbit house in the Lord of the Rings films.

We were extremely lucky to have had dry weather. It wouldn’t have been as enjoyable if it had rained because the majority of the experience was being outside, enjoying the surroundings. And, of course, the hot tub!

The hot tub is made from oak with a snorkel stove to heat it. It’s filled from a hose pipe direct from the stream that runs alongside. It takes around four and a half hours to get hot. So hot, in fact, we couldn’t get in it! There was a fine balance between keeping the stove stoked with wood and cooling the water down with more water from the stream. It’s a satisfying and rewarding process. The challenge is to take a dip in the freezing stream in between soaks in the hot tub. I didn’t get past my feet but a couple of people laid down in the steam, fully submerged!

The construction of the dwellings is beautifully irregular; wonky windows and doors, and reciprocal roofs in several of them. These touches really add that magical, fairytale feel to the place.

I imagine the village is even more magical is summer time, with lush grass and leaves on the trees. But March was still beautiful. We could see the mountains through the leafless trees and the stars at night from the warmth of the hot tub.

This short video tells the story of Cae Mabon in the words of its owner, Eric. If my photos haven't yet made you want to be transported straight to this magical wold, then this video certainly will.

Cae Mabon is the perfect refuge for a break from everyday life and an opportunity to experience living with the just the basic necessities in a magical setting that truly brings you closer to the natural world.

The website has good descriptions of each dwelling and an abundance of information for anyone who is thinking about staying at Cae Mabon. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and can't wait to return in the future. If you are looking for a fairytale holiday right here in the UK then this is the place to stay. It's not luxury and it's not immaculate . But it is cosy, it is magical and it is down to earth.

P.S. I'll be posting about our Snowdon hike

and my thrilling zip wire ride soon!

My boots have walked their final mile.

Last summer one boot got ripped down one side. I’ve been filling it with silicone and covering it in wax since then (see the pics), which has held up quite well. However on my last walk I got that feeling in my feet that made me stop, wiggle my feet then wiggle some more. Wet. That’s what I could feel. Damn.

I trudged on to the finish then removed my boots. My socks we damp down both sides of each foot. They had let water in and I was devastated. The seams must have broken and let water in.

Good fitting, long lasting and, of course, comfortable shoes are very important for hiking and to meet these qualities one has to dig deep into one’s back pocket.

When I heard about Mountain Warehouse’s Re-Boot campaign I was super pleased because they are offering 20% off a new pair of walking boots when you hand in your old ones to be recycled. Funds raised go to their chosen charity, British Exploring Society- how fab is that?

Mountain Warehouse is also running a competition across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to win a new pair of boots. Just upload a picture of your well-worn boots to one of their Social channels along with a story behind your laces. Last of all hashtag with #MWReboot and a winner will be picked at random each week.

Here’s my entry I uploaded to Instagram.

What do you think?

It will be sad to see them go. They have been with me up Snowdon, Scafell Pike, Helvellyn. Cadair Idris, and up Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Gehnt when I did the Yorkshire Three Peaks, among many others.

This year I'll be walking the 40 miles across the North Yorkshire Moors that make up the Lyke Wake Walk. I'll be taking on the challenge alongside the super adventurous blogger Zoe of Splodz Blogz and the aim is to complete the walk in under 24 hours. It's a long, long long way and my new boots will be the most important piece of kit I take.

A couple of weeks ago Dave and I visited Snowdonia for a long weekend along with 23 other friends and friend of friends. Our home for the weekend was the magical eco-village of Cae Mabon. Nestled away in oak woodland, seven beautiful hand built dwellings constructed from reclaimed and sustainable materials, centre around a thatched roundhouse. To see photographs of the village and read about our stay, check out this blog post.

Our main expedition was a hike to the summit of Snowdon on the Saturday. With 25 people making up our group, all with varying levels of ability and a toddler on my brother-in-law's back, the Llanberis Path was the safest route to take. It's the easiest ascent and doesn't have any steep sections and doesn't require any scrambling. Some of us planned to leave the main group and descend via a steeper, more challenging route, but the ground snow and poor visibility forced us to abandon these plans.

On the edge of Llanberis this gate marks the start of the path that leads to the summit. The path is reinforced and easy going but the gentle, consistent incline was enough to get me breathing heavily from the start.

The sky was blue and the temperature was pleasant for the speed we were going. From the path the surrounding mountains looked soft and calm in the still air but in reality they are anything but. As we gained altitude the temperature dropped and the winds picked up.

Kiteshack kindly set Dave and I Buffs especially of Snowdon hike. I chose a Hoodie Thermal Buff which, effectively, is two Buffs attached together; one thick and very soft hood with a second thin Buff on the inside for covering the neck and can be lifted to cover the mouth and nose. The draw strings make the hat part adjustable and I tightened it as the wind picked up. I am super pleased with how well it kept all the normally exposed body parts-head, neck, mouth, nose- lovely and warm.

Dave chose a Polar Buff which has a fleecy layer within the normal fabric. His camouflage colouring will be great for when we are shooting as it will keep half of his face camouflaged. When we climbed the snow-covered Cheviot in Northumberland at Christmas Dave suffered from the cold. With his neck and ears covered he felt much warmer on Snowdon thanks to his Buff.

This is Bertie, a one year old Cocker Spaniel belonging to our friends Sara and Tom. One of the last times we were on a walk with him he had to hitch a ride in Sara’s rucksack because his little puppy legs were worn out after a mile or so. Now he’s climbed the highest peak in Wales!

The snow line was as dramatic in real life as in this photograph. One minute we were walking on a clear path and the next we were treading carefully in snow. Looking on ahead we saw other walkers struggling on the deeper, icier snow on the higher ground. Like many others, we chose to follow the train track for the mountain train when it crossed over other path on which we walked. The tracks provided better footing and felt safer. The snow wasn't deep but it was slippy from the hundreds of people who has stepped on before us that day.

The path was busy with walkers sporting adequate gear but in contrast we saw many people dressed in casual clothes which would provide no protection at all if the weather closed in. Most of these people didn't carry bags either so presumably they had no fluids either. Just before the snowline we passes a man in his late 20s wearing work trousers and shoes! I doubt he would have gone on much further. When researching the walk I read many other witness accounts of people attempting the hike without the adequate gear but it was more shocking when I saw it in person. Sometime Dave and I would snigger as we passed poorly dressed people where as other times we just glanced at each other with shocked faces.

Our typical embarrassing couple pose we do for the camera. For some reason Dave looks like some sort of extraterrestrial or scarecrow gone wrong.

In this photo the Llanberis path can be seen running parallel to the train track on which we walked as we came closer to the summit. As it got colder I put off getting out my phone to take photos. Taking my gloves off was fiddly because the ends of my fingers were tingling from the cold. Getting the gloves back on again was even harder. After reaching the summit and capturing some terrible shots of my wind-stricken face I left the camera in my pocket for the rest of the expedition.

Here, bodies can be just made out on the ridge on the right, heading to the summit. The summit itself was in fog. If it wasn't for the bustle of the crowds it would have been an eerie place to be, but the magic was quite far removed from the experience. I knew it would be busy so my expectations weren't diminished. The buzz from the crowds lured me into a false sense of security on the mountain. Mountains can be very dangerous and I am always conscious of this fact but having so many people around me subconsciously settled my mind.

The decent inevitably felt colder and the group had dispersed into smaller groups so we picked up our pace to get past the snow. Once back on dry ground we took the time to take in the stunning views across Snowdonia before celebrating our accomplishment the way any walking accomplishment should be celebrated; in the pub.

Today is a sad day. While stuck in traffic on the way back from a work meeting, I received a call from Ian to say that 4 hens had been taken.

I suppose it was better that I was prepared for seeing the clusters of feathers in patches around the wood when I got home. Until this week I had only been allowing them out on a weekend while we are all around as I was concerned Mr Fox would visit. But this week I have been letting them roam free. They look so happy when they are scratting around the wood and basking in the sun and I didn’t want them to miss out on this week’s gorgeous weather. I took the decision to allow them out, knowing there is a chance the fox could take them but felt the benefits outweighed the con. I caught a fox in the wood on camera around what could have potentially been an earth, but there hasn't been any activity around there in recent weeks so thought it would be ok let them out in the day. Obviously now I regret the decision but trying to tell myself I did what I though was best for the hens.

We’ve spent the evening looking for the bodies/survivors, but to no avail. There are many clumps of feathers pinpointing where then hens had been grabbed and struggled to get away. Seeing them is upsetting, but they will blow away in time. I suppose they will be utilised by the birds for nesting material. The four hens taken were from my original 6. One of the remaining hens has been bitten but it doesn’t look too bad- just tiny punctures in the skin under her leg. She’s walking, eating and drinking fine but has her tail is down and she’s been sulking in a corner. I hope she is just a little shaken and sore but will pull through with some rest. The other 7 hens don’t appear phased by what has happened.

I’m not angry with the fox; they are natural wild predators. I don’t believe in persecuting foxes because they attack livestock. It’s a human’s responsibility to ensure their animals are secure. Our pets and livestock are not wild and we have a responsibility to protect them against wild animals.

I’ll definitely stick to keeping the hens in their enclosure during the week from now on.

I’m super excited to announce the launch of Outdoor Bloggers, a network for anyone who blogs about any outdoor topic and wants to chat to, and meet, other outdoor bloggers in the UK.

The concept for Outdoor Bloggers was born from a conversation between Zoe of Splodz Blogz and I on Twitter. We feel the bloggersphere lacks events and opportunities for like-minded bloggers to meet (virtually and in person), share ideas and, ultimately, enjoy being in the outdoors together. That’s when we decided to create a network so outdoor bloggers have the opportunity to do these things.

Zoe and I welcome everyone who enjoys and blogs about any aspect of the outdoors. You could write about nature, sports, activities, sustainability, the environment, farming, outdoor education, scouting; anything really. Whether you are a professional in your field or just a novice, you are welcome.

By nature, Zoe and I are ladies who don’t take life too seriously. We believe life is all about seeking and experiencing adventure and ultimately, having fun. And this exactly the ethos we are bringing to Outdoor Bloggers. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the most expensive outdoor kit, the most popular blog or thousands of Twitter followers- we aren’t about that and neither is Outdoor Bloggers. It’s about everyone who has similar interests having the chance to meet others and enjoy something we all have in common; the outdoors.

The Outdoor Bloggers premier event takes place Friday 29th to Sunday 31st may 2015 at Edale in the stunning Peak District. We will enjoy two nights of camping at a local campsite and spend the Saturday hiking to the top of Kinder Scout, the highest gritstone peak in the Peak District.

If you are a blogger who writes about the outdoors, we would love to have you join us. Book your place here – www.outdoorbloggers.co.uk

Join the Twitter conversation with #OutdoorBloggers and #OutdoorBloggersWeekend

Ian, my step dad, has been a traditional charcoal kilner for over 25 years. He spent the first two years living in a Showmans caravan in the middle of Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire, felling trees and producing charcoal using the traditional kiln method. I am often asked if he is the guy who built a home in the wood on Grand Designs several years ago (Ben Law) but he actually started out several years before, in 2000. It was then he bought the woodland we live in today and created a yard where he produces charcoal and cuts logs to deliver to customers in the local area.

I've helped out with kilning a few times over the years but last weekend Ian gave Dave a practical lesson in charcoal making. Here are a few snaps of the kilning process:

Wood laid in a lattice ensures air can be drawn in and forced out through the chimneys.

The smoke created when the fire is ignited in the bottom of the kiln is

Sand is ideal for blocking air holes because it doesn't burn.

Thick smoke bellows from the chimneys for over around 15-20 hours as the charcoal cooks within the kiln.When the smoke gets thinner. it is a sign the charcoal is almost ready.

The smoke created a beautiful light show as the early morning sun shone through trees and illuminated the dense plumes.

When the mixture of gases emitted from the chimneys easily ignites when a flame held above them, it indicates the charcoal is almost ready

All chimneys and gaps are covered to put out the fire then the kiln is left for a day to cool down.

The messy job is shoveling the charcoal out of the kiln. Even though we had masks, the soot still managed to get in down our throats and up our noses, as well as in our hair and all over our faces. The charcoal is then sieved to remove the dust before packaging into bags or storing in containers.

In Briton, we buy 60, 000 tonnes of charcoal each year, with around 95% being imported. Buying locally produced charcoal is more environmentally friendly than buying the imported bags generally sold in supermarkets as it hasn't traveled as many miles and has most likely been produced on a small scale, like we do. You will be supporting small local businesses too.

Meet the first (and hopefully last) of this year’s rescues; a song thrush chick.

Every year we get birds nesting in the most inconvenient of places (for us) such as the log splitter, the wood pile, the mini digger and even the pickup, meaning we have to leave the area alone for several weeks.

This year a pair of song thrushes made their nest in a machine in the yard. Luckily it wasn’t one we needed but meant giving the area a wide birth so as not to disturb her. Just over a week ago I snuck a photo of the eggs while they were away from the nest. Each day we would glance into the next to check it was still there. Magpies, crows, squirrels and mice destroy many nests in the wood each year, so we regularly check nests we are aware of, hoping they are still there.

A week last Friday the chicks hatched and, while the parents were away collecting food, I snapped a photo of the tiny naked chicks in the nest. Comparing the eggs to the chicks in the photo below makes one wonder how just the day before they were inside the tiny shells.

On Bank Holiday Monday Ian checked the nest as usual but was horrified to see just one lifeless naked body inside the nest. He gently nudged the small body and it was clap cold to the touch. Thinking the chick was dead he carefully scooped it out to see if there were any signs of the attacker. The chick made a slight movement indicating it was still alive so he rushed it inside to warm it under a lamp and hot water bottle. When chicks, especially such young ones, get cold it’s a sign death is just around the corner. The chick had some blood on its head and after closer inspection it looked like bite wounds, most likely from a mouse or rat. Luckily it didn’t look to severe but it’s hard to know with it being such a small animal.

This photo was taken on Bank Holiday Monday

Thankfully the chick warmed and started to move more but didn’t open its mouth to ask for food. Normally small vibrations and sounds make chicks think a parent has returned to the nest so they will open their bright coloured mouths (known as their gape) to receive food from their parents. At this age their eyes aren’t yet open so they can’t see. The chick didn’t respond and was very weak. Ian gently opened the chick’s beak and fed it boiled egg, which it swallowed. This was a good sign.

When I returned from work the chick had more strength and suddenly opened its gape. I quickly grabbed some egg with the tweezers and place it in its open mouth. The chick enthusiastically swallowed the food. Wahoo!

Six days on the thrush has grown in size, has started to grow feather, has one opened eye and has started to tweet (not the 140 character type). The speed at which the chick is growing is fascinating. I have been taking one to two photos each day to compare growth. After comparing the photo from this morning, around 9am (left photo) to this evening’s around 7pm (right photo), there is a clear change in the length of the wing feathers.

Caring for chicks is very demanding. The thrush needs feeding roughly every 30 minutes to an hour apart from night time but one of us has to get up at around 4am to give the chick its breakfast. The thrush will be just an eating and pooping machine for the first couple of weeks of its life. Food goes in which triggers a poop to come out at the other end, which we catch in a spoon and dispose of.

We’ve hand raised a number of birds in the past including crows, magpies, ducklings and blackbirds. It’s rewarding to see the grown bird we have helped fly away but along with success stories there are also failures. Sometimes little ones just don’t make it, despite our best efforts.

This photo was taken this evening (Saturday).

The future for this little thrush is looking more positive each day. Hopefully in a few weeks it will take to the sky.

If you have found a chick that you think is is trouble, please read the useful information from this RSPB first. Chicks with feathers have normally left the nest and will soon learn to fly. They are referred to as fledglings and it's perfectly normal to see them on the ground and their parents won't be far away. If you find a featherless chick or an injured chick, keep it warm and contact a local rescue center or the RSPCA. (The RSPB don't have facilities to treat birds).

Dying dyed ginger hair to pink

The Cheviot

Can you tell what it is?

Felling trees

Take part in the World's biggest wildlife survey: The Big Garden Birdwatch

8 things in the UK my eyes want to see

Fingal’s Cave

Giant’s Causeway

White-tailed sea eagles on Mull

Whales in the Hebrides

The bird migration on the Norfolk coast

Thatched house villages in Cotswold

Stars and planets at Kielder Observatory

The Aurora Borealis

Giveaway: Nest box from Feed The Birds

Oh, rats!

Websites to help save money on your car

Choosing

Buying

Insuring

Fixing

Parts

More hens. More money?

Forest gardens and the future of sustainable farming

What is a forest garden?

What will we grow?

Catching a fox on camera in the wood

New hens and the horrible truth about debeaking

Staying at Cae Mabon, the Welsh Shangri-la

Reboot to get 20% of new walking boots at Mountain Warehouse

Views from Snowdon

And then there were eight

Introducing Outdoor Bloggers; a network for everyone who blogs about the outdoors.

Making charcoal, the traditional way

An orphaned song thrush chick