January 7th, 1999

There is a general air of dampness and decay in many parts of the grounds, particularly in the areas beneath the trees around the boundaries and in the shrubbery. There is little evidence remaining of many of the herbaceous plants that were so conspicuous in the summer - but some species have left their 'skeletons' behind. The seed heads of spear thistles and plants such as hogweed are still standing and  look very attractive when coated with frost. Also, specimens of burdock continue to stand and retain some of their burrs but these are now becoming more fragile than they were in the autumn. I have accidentally collected several of these recently and, when I tried to remove them, they disintegrated, giving a clear but irritating demonstration of the effectiveness of the plant's seed dispersal mechanism.

It is now easy to observe blackbirds as they kick over dead leaves or toss them to one side with their beaks in their search for food. The leaves provide a popular feeding ground for a number of other species and a very brief examination of the leaf litter shows why this is so. There are many worms and woodlice and it is possible to find small snails, as well as numerous beetles etc.. I found the shield bug illustrated above amongst some beech leaves. The bug was about 1cm long and must represent a welcome food item for a bird.