December to January 2013 - Leicestershire Villages

waves a stick at them. Whilst talking to Fay one day a Hobby Hawk flew about 20
feet over us. Simon, of Main Street, reports a Sparrowhawk plucking a Collared
Dove along Blind Lane – just opposite the Post Office. It carried on plucking this
bird as though he wasn’t there. A few more reports of Saprrowhawks, but I am running
out of space.
Mick Merriman and David Perry tell me that whilst on the weekly Wednesday walk
(this time around Rutland Water) they saw a Labrador attack a sheep. By the time
they got to the scene the dog and the useless idiots that owned it had fled into a wood
and disappeared; Mick tells me the sheep was still alive but in a bad state. He reported
it to the warden, who told them that incidents like this happen several times a
week. It makes you wonder what this country is coming to; it wants me there with
the old 12-bore; it seems the only way to sort them out.
I have received a report of a Badger seen in broad daylight in the village near a
chicken pen, when spotted it just walked into the undergrowth and away – a rare sight
in daylight hours. There is a young Robin in the village who has just got his full
plumage, and it seems as though he has got three homes. I have seen this bird in the
Want’s garden, now it seems to visit Caroline Reffin’s, and also Sheila and Shirley
Blythe’s gardens. I hope he spends equal time at all three houses, we don’t want any
favouritism, do we now?
Peter Cawdell tells me of a Fox he saw running along his lawn with a Magpie chasing
after it; Peter tells me the Magpie was only a few feet above the Fox as it ran off –
this at 9 o’clock in the morning. David Priestley of Turvey reports a large Mistle
Thrush in his garden. During the early morning of the three frosts in early November
I discovered two dead Newts – dead and frozen on the pavement near the Falcon.
Had someone moved some stone or slab that caused these creatures to come out of
hibernation?
Weather Wisdom: A cold November,
A warm Christmas
Eric Scott-Parker
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