Sunday 5 July

Years ago, a washing line was hung over a tree branch. In recent years, the branch has grown over the line, forcing it upwards as the tree grows.

After yesterday's scare with the sparrowhawk, a male blackbird ventures out on the grass to look for worms for his second brood of the season. Later, he was taking an ant-bath. The bird irritates an ants' nest, and the insects crawl all over his features, killing parasites.