270. Fauna news . . .

First, our broody bantam. Day 16 and all seems to be going OK. She comes off the eggs once a day for a drink and to carpet the floor in grain from her food bowl. Every other day she does a large No 2.

She's also pulling out her chest feathers which is slightly disconcerting. It's not that she's bored (you'd think she'd have a bumper book of Sudoku or a heap of box-sets put aside for these periods) but that she is trying to maximise the transfer of her body heat to the eggs. She's a proper pro this year.

Monday 25th April, Day 22, we hope will be the day.

Second, our bees. News there is not so encouraging. The National hive (RHS) seems to be fine: there is plenty of activity and pollen is going into the hive in good quantities. I have given them a first feed of syrup too. Still not much for them in the garden - daffs, some flowering currant and dandelions. But the fruit blossom is still to come.

However, the WBC (you're probably there already, but LHS if you're not) is almost dead. Something has gone wrong and I am not sure what. The bees are almost all dead. I don't think there was a Queen, but I wonder too if there was another reason. They looked so good going into the Winter, plenty of stores (they still have lots) and plenty of bees. The grim job of cleaning it all up awaits.



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