Huddling Together

Apologies for being rather quiet over the last few days but Beryl, my wife has been very ill contracting something called Giant Cell Arteritus.  This is the inflammation of the arteries etc between the aorta and the cranium.  Very painful but now thankfully diagnosed.  A course of steroids should put things straight which is just as well.  Not a potentially fatal condition but if not treated quickly can result in blindness. I am pleased to say that Beryl is feeling and looking a lot better.




Wren


I have not been far but I did walk down the lane to my neighbour Rob Donaldson's this evening to witness a well documented occurrence but one I had not really seen before.  Just as dusk approached hordes of Wrens started to land on the wall of his stone farmhouse and make their way creeping up to a double- decker nest box to roost.  We waited until it was dark and by then we counted 40 birds entering the box to roost where their combined body heat would keep the tiny birds alive in this cold weather.  I checked Birds of the Western Palearctic where it stated that the largest roost reported was 61 but the norm was 10 to 15 birds.  Our roost is significant and an amazing sight.