The Birds

We've been picking the odd banger off our lawn this winter-not bangers as in "bangers and mash" but noise bangers-small shotgun cartridges. Our civic workers have been chasing crows out of town and down the valley into the countryside, where farmers tell us they try to chase them back. For the last few weeks we have been crow-free, which is a good thing because they filled the trees round The Duchess over Xmas. I expected Tippi Hendron to bang on our door at any moment, and Hitch to walk by.