Now it's autumn here I've decided to overcome my blog phobia and have another crack at it. Things have quitened down here somewhat since the summer so I'm going to adopt a policy of 'little and often'. The website has been hacked into and vandalised. The hacker took a particular dislike to the little teddy bears which I rank as heinous cyber crime. So I'm in the process of repairing the site and adding more gifts to it. Wish me luck!
On a different tack I have noticed that the grass around the river banks is often streaked with a silvery deposit. I have worked out that this is heron poo. As they take flight from a morning's fishing they almost always emit a long streak of sparkling deposit. On closer inspection the poo is entirely composed of fish scales which contrasts vividly with the lush green grass.
The herons are numerous on the River Coln and they have been joined recently by their cousins the egrets. They are small, white herons which I think originate in the Med' and the Middle East. Apparently they started colonising these islands in 1986 and have bred successfully since then. Being a non-native {I can't spell indigenous} species I wonder if they have had an adverse affect on any native species?
Anyway, I am trying to sell these toughened glass work top protectors at the moment with little success. They have a coloured drawing of a brown trout, which is indijinous, and one of a rainbow trout, which is non-endegenus, and the word 'Bibury' in the middle. I like them and will soon put them on the website [when I work out how to]. In the meantime if anyone wants one for a fiver then please email me.
