More prepping

Another day spent in the garden prepping for the apocalypse (lol) with more work on preserving food. Learnt a few more techniques including blanching, stewing and freezing and did more pickling.

The moth trap was pretty quiet, only new for year was a Square-spot Rustic - the first of many. 

The tit flock in the garden goes through a couple of times a day and currently has about 25 birds in it including Coal, Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits with a couple of Chiffchaffs, one or two Goldcrest, a sub-singing Willow Warbler and Blackcap. There's a flock of 20+ House Martins circling over, a few Swallows, Robins are beginning to call again but the moulting thrushes and dunnocks etc are still keeping their heads down. 

A decent haul today- no way of eating this quick enough hence the drive this year to preserve food for the winter 

Blanching is dropping peas in boiling water for a bit and then taking them out, putting ice on them and then freezing- apparently it keeps them fresh frozen. 

Stewed apples with raspberry, frozen for apple pie later. We did this to the rhubarb too.

Pickled a load more beetroot and cucumber today too 

More Rhubarb then we can wave a stick at, more beetroots, potatoes, courgettes and carrots to harvest and the pumpkins, sweetcorn and tomatoes haven't started yet. Looks like we are going to literally have a tonne of apples. Also the winter potatoes are doing well. 

Red Fox is not common round here. Caught this one on the camera trap last night after noticing strange poo and half eaten apples. 

September Thorn- the posture is distinctive as opposed to the more open winged posture by the similar August thorn. The legs are also yellow in September Thorn. Bit more HERE.

Went to Birdland with the family (it's summer holiday) yesterday in the Cotswolds. It's incredible the species in collections in this area in these family places- Emu, Spectacled Owl and Kea (above). First time I've seen a Kea since I was in New Zealand in 2003. Birdland have over 140 different world bird species in their collection. Not really thought about zoos and conservation much in past as didn't visit zoos until Jacob came along but some interesting perspectives and a few revelations such as species that are extinct in the wild (and only exist in zoo collections in the Cotswolds) etc.