When you open up your world to wildlife, the rewards can be rich and fulfilling. When you open up your garden to give nature room to flourish, you must do so with a sense of acceptance that your patch of ground will become a feeding station, a nursery, a battleground. We have naughty badgers and cheeky foxes who dig and defecate, but there is no sense in getting cross if you have invited them in and take pleasure from knowing that they regard your garden as good habitat. However, I was driven to fury this morning by a discovery in my vegetable patch.

Last season, I lost a few seed-potatoes to foxes that pulled them out of the ground. Mostly, they were scattered around and about, but a couple disappeared completely, presumed eaten. I found one yesterday behind a large growing sack. I wasn’t angry that the fox had dug it up and discarded it, I objected to the fact that her potato yielded twice as much as any of my cosseted plants!

Written by Redgannet
Redgannet worked for more than 35 years as a flight attendant for an international airline. He came to birding late in his career but, considering the distractions, doesn't regret the missed opportunities. He was paid to visit six continents and took full advantage of the chance to bird the world. He adopted the nom de blog, Redgannet, to avoid remonstrations from his overbearing employer, but secretly hoped that the air of mystery would make him more attractive to women. Now grounded, he is looking forward to seeing the seasons turn from a fixed point.