Bog Myrtle & Peat

Just worth noting that there are many ways to “give nature a home” which do not involve donating money to the RSPB. This spotted flycatcher has made a nest in the bracket of the satellite dish which beams my internet into the house. I didn’t have to fill in any gift aid subscriptions or make polite conversation with some banal charity worker while my payment details were confirmed. I am extremely lucky that this bird is a spotted flycatcher, but there are more than a dozen different nests in my rather small garden, proudly owned by everything from wagtails and swallows to chaffinches and bluetits. It certainly is important to “give nature a home”, but why can’t we cut out the middle man and do the basic, obvious work ourselves? Quite often, it is as simple as just letting things get a little scruffy.