I have always connected Ravens with  the Tower of London where they cannot fly away as their wings are clipped.

There are all sorts of legends about the necessity of having Ravens at the Tower for the continuance of the building and the country itself. I was surprised therefore to hear that several Ravens had definitely been spotted near Vicarage Farm feeding on a deer carcass.

Carrion is a favourite food for Ravens but they will also eat small birds, grain and snails. They have been seen flying in the area round Coddenham House. Well worth looking out for. It seems that Ravens have been increasingly seen in Suffolk having gradually moved eastward from the rocky areas they used to inhabit in the west.

The Rooks in the rookery behind the Coddenham Centre are gathering morning and evening on the tops of the trees. I counted over 60 one morning before they decided to fly off to feed. Other birds are starting to compete with the very noisy Robin round my house. A Song Thrush is clearly identifiable as he repeats his song to enjoy it again each time. Birds are still hungry and Blue Tits and Great Tits are enjoying the fat and nut balls I have hung out for them as well as a small band of Long-tailed Tits also competing with the ever present Wood Pigeons.

Its good to see Aconites with their cheerful yellow flowers in sheltered places. The weather has been a great deal less cheerful however and the ground is sodden. A small sessile oak tree came down just behind Mary Day Close when it was not particularly windy, root and all. Fortunately it missed the nearby bungalow. Now we want some brighter weather.

Brenda Hudson