The sun continued to shine on the County Show team as the Dorset Spring Show opened its farm gates this weekend. Now in its new home at the Birch Lane Showground on a working farm, there can’t be many events that boast such a stunning backdrop of Dorset’s rolling hills.
Excitement in the main ring – The BV
The Spring Show was everything you’d hope for – the key is to take your time, saunter around, and stop to enjoy each element. With a packed schedule in the Spring Arena, and additional thrills from the BMX and Axemen arenas, there’s more than enough to fill a day.
Beyond the goat-herding dog, racing Shetland ponies, airborne BMX stunts and the strangely mesmerising wood-chopping, there was still so much to explore.
Titan the robot meeting his fans
Titan the Robot gathered a huge crowd every time he appeared beside the picnic tent, with laughter rippling across the showground. The food hall was vast and bustling – don’t expect to leave empty handed. There’s always a sausage, chutney, vodka or cheese just tempting you to take it home.
The steam engine trailer rides proved especially popular, its cheerful chuffing and whistle creating a lovely soundtrack to the day as it gently pulled trailer-loads of families around the site.
All aboard for rides around the site
Over on Spring Farm, it was hard to resist the draw of holding a fluffy chick, napping lambs and sleepy piglets. And in the heart of the farmyard, the kids’ pedal tractors kept many little ones happily occupied.
Trade stalls were plentiful and varied – be prepared for plenty of walking as you browse. It was a farmer’s field just a week ago, so sturdy footwear is a must!
chicken pad Thai was delicious – The BV
The Food & Drink Village offered something for every taste, from local lamb burgers to Greek souvlaki. As expected, it got busy around lunchtime – go early or late if you’d rather avoid a queue. We opted for Thai (the chicken pad Thai was delicious) – though the wood-fired pizza next door was a very close contender!
The Demo Theatre hosted a fascinating NFU talk to open the day, followed by a mix of cookery and tastings from local producers, before wrapping up with floral demonstrations.
The show continues tomorrow, Sunday – it’s well worth a visit
Getting to the Show: Use the postcode DT2 7LN and follow the yellow directional signs when nearby.
Catch the Shuttle Bus from Dorchester, Poundbury and Puddletown – a double decker will be at each stop every half an hour. View the shuttle bus route: https://dorsetcountyshow.co.uk/spring-show-info/
Tickets can be purchased on the gate, or book online for faster entry (screenshot the ticket barcode on your phone before leaving home – signal’ onsite may not work’s iffy on site!).
Do take some cash – not all traders accept card, and contactless can be unreliable in the middle of a field!
April is one of our busiest months on the allotment as we get ready for the main growing season. A lot of the jobs rely on favourable weather – so we are hoping for equal amounts of rain and sun!
Red Drumhead red cabbage has been planted out All images: Barry Cuff
Weather The first part of the month was dry, continuing on from a very dry March. Then some much-needed rain came on 18th and 22nd/23rd. We had some cold nights with a touch of frost on 8th and 17th, and we enjoyed a mix of very sunny and very dull days.
Ground preparation The soil became much easier to dig and till after the rain on the 18th, and an absolute pleasure to prepare after the 0.3 inches on the 23rd!
Outdoor sowings We planted two lines of Palace parsnip with four to six seeds per station. These will be thinned down to two when they’re ready. Also sowed some part lines of Moulin Rouge beetroot and Early Nantes carrot.
Outdoor planting Planted one row of Red Drumhead red cabbage, four rows of Bonus onions (from small plugs which had one to three seeds per plug), a part row of Red Baron onions also from plugs. Another part row of remaining onions was close-planted, as these are to be used as spring onions In the greenhouse Celery, celeriac, Brussels sprouts, lettuce and parsley were all sown in plugs or pots, and we have put all our tomatoes and sweet peppers into large pots. We keep a close watch on the weather forecast at this time of year – a frost could do damage even under glass.
On the plot We have been digging as required. The garlic is looking exceptionally good, and the broad beans started to flower on the 15th.
Potatoes Regular readers will know we grow a lot of potatoes! This year we have six varieties, plus short rows of three new varieties we are trialling. We started planting in late March and finished on 22nd April, working as the land became available. Early planting means we quite often harvest early and miss the blight, but we do have to check the forecast for frosts. All the early planted rows have been earthed up*.
Onions are planted out from small plugs which had one to three seeds per plug
Fruit There are masses of flowers on the gooseberries and currants, and the strawberries started to flower on the 21st. A lot of new growth on the raspberries.
Fresh food We harvested the last of the carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, sprouting broccoli and leeks.
Salads We are enjoying mizuna from the plot as well as lettuce, mixed mustard leaves and pea shoots from the greenhouse, plus the forced chicons.
Next month will be the main sowing month of the year!
*where soil is mounded around the base of potato plants as they grow. This process protects the plants from frost, prevents tubers from turning green due to sunlight, and encourages more potato growth.
With butterfly numbers falling, Pete Harcom explains how we can all help pollinators thrive by rethinking lawns, flowers and our love of tidy gardens
Painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) with wings outstreached, resting on a verbena bonariensis flower
do some gardening for wildlife … and in particular, for our butterflies? They are beautiful, of course, and they are also an important part of the UK’s wildlife – but our butterflies are swiftly disappearing. They are highly sensitive indicators of the health of the environment and play crucial roles in the food chain, as well as being pollinators of plants. The UK now has 59 species of butterflies, with five species having become extinct in the last 150 years. The 2022 report on the state of the UK’s butterflies revealed the alarming news that 80 per cent of butterfly species in the UK have decreased in either abundance, distribution or both since 1976. Decreases in butterfly populations on this scale are a huge cause for concern: butterflies are an integral part of the UK ecosystem and their decline is a clear warning signal of the wider biodiversity crisis. Perhaps we should consider stopping using weed killers and pesticides? The RHS provides some really good advice on which plants are good for our pollinators, including butterflies, on its website here. They particularly like buddleia, sedum, hebe, wild marjoram, common knapweed, red Valerian, nettles, holly, hops and verbena bonariensis. The Woodland Trust suggests that if we want to help pollinators, we should avoid plants with double or multi–petalled flowers: pollinators find them difficult to access. The flowers also often lack nectar and pollen. Roses and dahlias are often bred to have double flowers, but there are plenty of beautiful single–flowered varieties to grow instead.
Your new meadow Another thing particularly appropriate this month is participating in the Plantlife charity ‘No Mow May’ idea. Maybe expand it into further months of the year: let go of that perfect lawn idea, and instead mow pathways through your new mini meadow? Leave the lawn to produce wildflowers, as these will provide nectar for our insects, butterflies and moths. If your lawn is near a hedge or fence, insects tend to use longer grasses near hedges or fence lines for shelter. These un–mown areas provide valuable habitat for pollinators, insects, butterflies and moths, just when they are hatching or coming out of hibernation. And they in turn are a food source for birds, bats and other wildlife. Of course, an actual wildflower meadow won’t appear from just not mowing the lawn, but it is surprising just how many flowers do appear … daisies and clover will be first, then dandelions, buttercups, yarrow … primroses and violets may also appear. When you decide to start mowing the lawn again, mow it on the high setting on the mower first and then gradually cut it shorter over the ensuing weeks. If you sometimes leave the lawn clippings on the lawn, they will rot down and fertilise the sward.
Dorset’s new adult day care plans could see centre closures – critics say proposals ignore facilities, users’ needs and rural transport challenges
The purpose-built Blandford Day Care Centre is declared too large, with poor public transport access, despite the bus stop at the front entrance
Dorset Council, created in 2019 as a Conservative led authority and under Liberal Democrat control since the May 2024 election, has outlined proposals for major changes to the way it intends to provide day care for vulnerable residents across the county. A consultation document issued on 11th March outlined the ‘hub and spoke’ schemes proposed, and gave interested parties 90 days, until 9th June, to make their views known. The issues facing users and their carers, across the five areas of the county, are varied and complex. Six hundred people in Dorset use the adult day care services every day, and just over 300 of them are placed with Care Dorset, the council’s ‘trading partner.’ Currently in North Dorset, four day centres provide adult services to 68 residents. Of these, 21 visit the Blandford area centre, six attend Sherborne, five attend Shaftesbury and 34 attend Sturminster Newton.
Hub proposal The consultation document explains that the users of the day care centres and their carers were asked about their experiences in 2021 and again in 2023, and asked for a wider choice of local activities and more flexible options, including activities in the evenings and at weekends. It continues: ‘We propose to introduce hubs across the county, where people can go to access information, make connections to everything that is going on in their local area and take part in some activities.’ But critics of the new scheme fear that the cash-strapped council is really proposing the closure of centres and the removal of services to some of the most vulnerable people in the community. Rob Mariner, a full-time defence industry worker whose wife has early-onset dementia and attends the Blandford centre twice a week, welcomes the respite from worry that he relies on while she is being cared for. Moving her care to Sturminster would be an hour’s round trip, eating into his work time. Rob has started a petition against the closure of the existing centres. A parent who has taken many months persuading her adult son to attend the centre at Blandford fears he will not be willing to go to a ‘new’ centre at Sturminster. They and other carers criticise the consultation document for omitting mention of important and well-used facilities, like the garden and cafe at the current Blandford centre, which is the most modern, was purpose built and has a bus stop right outside, meaning that public transport is not an issue. The council document says that more than half of the people who attend day opportunities have their service delivered by Care Dorset in council-owned buildings, which are large and in need of updating. The proposals for the new hubs, and their spokes, are outlined in the document, but critics question the huge disparity in the numbers of people using the service between the various towns in North Dorset.
Rob Mariner and his wife Mary, who has early onset dementia, rely on the Blandford Day Centre
If you want to have your say over the Dorset Council proposals, visit dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/better-days Dorset Council invites the public to attend two online events via Teams to share their thoughts on the proposal: 15th May at 6pm here 4th June at 6pm here Rob Mariner’s petition to stop the closure of day centres in North Dorset is at Change.org
A glorious sunny Sunday brought out runners, families and spectators for Shaftesbury Rotary’s second Family Fun Run – and what a brilliant morning it was. With around 150 entries, runners chose between 5km and 10km routes, both finishing with the famous climb up Gold Hill. The course, entirely within Shaftesbury, took participants along some of the town’s lesser-known but scenic streets, offering a fresh view of this beautiful town. A highlight for many was the Jelly Baby station at Bimport, cheerfully manned by Abbey Primary School RotaKids George, Iris, Lily and Sophia – who heroically resisted the temptation to snack! Shaftesbury Primary RotaKids Sanya, Poppy, Verity and Jack were stationed at the finish line, proudly handing out medals. Both enthusiastic RotaKid teams were invaluable, helping to make the event a success. Proceeds will go to Shaftesbury’s Westminster Memorial Hospital, and Rotary extends thanks to returning sponsors Bloomfield Associates Ltd, as well as BAD (Brave and Determined) for running the coffee trailer. shaftesburyrotaryclub.org date for the diary: North Dorset Cycle Ride on 18th May – those completing two events qualify for a special Triathlon medal. Fingers crossed for more sunshine!
‘United for Jon’ fundraising night set for 31st May, as friends and neighbours step up to raise support for Gillingham dad Jon Over
Screenshot
Friends and neighbours across North Dorset and Somerset are coming together this month to support Jon Over, a former Royal Navy engineer and father-of-two who was recently diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). During his 23-year service in the Royal Navy, Jon was primarily based at Yeovilton air station, serving with 815 and 825 Naval Air Squadrons. He began by maintaining Lynx helicopters and later worked on the Wildcat. Before leaving the Navy as a chief petty officer, he was a staunch fundraiser and key member of many Fleet Air Arm and Navy sports teams, including rugby, tennis, cricket, golf and athletics. ‘Jon’s someone who has always been willing to give back,’ said his friend, Chief Petty Officer Dan ‘Whisky’ Walker. Jon and his family had only just moved into their dream home in Gillingham when they received the devastating diagnosis. With a prognosis of just one to three years, friends are rallying to raise funds that will allow Jon to create precious memories with his wife, Marie, and their two daughters – and help safeguard their family home.
A team effort Jon’s supporters are running the Brighton Marathon, climbing Lake District peaks, attempting a cross-Channel swim and organising a golf day – all to top up the fund that has already raised more than £17,000 via a JustGiving page created by Jon’s close friend, Daniel: ‘I’ve had the privilege of calling Jon my friend for almost 20 years. He’s truly selfless, and has done so much for others – he’s kind, compassionate, and always there when you need him.’ The Fleet Air Arm community at Yeovilton has also rallied to support Jon, with various fundraising initiatives underway. Jon’s football friends, Adam Vincent and Greg Hissey, have also organised a charity fundraising night, United for Jon, at Wincanton Sports Ground on Saturday 31st May. ‘Jon’s known for his kindness and unwavering support for others,’ says Greg. ‘He and Marie recently moved into their dream home in Gillingham and are now faced with potentially losing it – which we want to help prevent. The fundraising night will include a DJ, dancing, raffle, silent auction*, and a pizza van for hungry revellers. With no cure for MND, the community’s support is making a very real difference. Every ticket sold and every donation made helps ease the burden for a family facing the unthinkable.
United for Jon Dress to impress! (over 18s only) Wincanton Sports Ground Saturday 31st May 7pm to 11.30pm Tickets are £22.38 (including a welcome drink) available via Eventbrite.
If you can help with donations of raffle and auction prizes, please contact Greg on hissey9@hotmail.com
We’ve had a lot of fun getting ready for the Dorset Spring Show on 3rd and 4th May, and I’m thrilled to share that Love Local Trust Local will be taking part in a big way this year. Some of our brilliant local producers will be giving short presentations and talks on both days of the show – join us at 12.30pm on Saturday and 11am on Sunday in the Demonstration Marquee, near the local food producer stands. We’ll be sharing stories behind the produce, offering tastings, and – we hope – giving you something meaningful to take away, whether that’s a new favourite product or a fresh understanding of why buying British and local really does matter. We’re so proud of the incredible line-up of producers joining us: Peter Morgan from The Book and Bucket Cheese Company Rachael Perrett from Meggy Moo’s Dairy Katie Cooper from South Paddocks Karl and Chrissie Regler from From Dorset With Love Claire King from The Nutrition Advisory Team and myself, Barbara Cossins, founder of the Love Local Trust Local food label, Rawston Farm Butchery and Shop, and The Langton Arms. Together, we’ll be showcasing what local food really means – and why it’s vital to support it. A heartfelt thank you goes to Blanchards Bailey Solicitors for supporting and sponsoring our producers to deliver this important demonstration. Do come and say hello – taste, learn, and support your local food heroes.
In other news: The upcoming important dates for your diaries are: 8th May – Claire King with James Cossins and Jon Sloper will be at an event on the importance of eating local, healthy food organised by BCP in Bournemouth. See Love Local Trust Local social media for more information. 8th June – Open Farm Sunday, we will be at Down Barn Farm, DT11 8SH.
Spring is my favourite. No contest. There’s a particular moment – somewhere around mid-April – when Dorset just … exhales. The hedgerows start frothing white with blackthorn, and then burst into green like someone flicked a switch. Bluebells flash their electric blue in every patch of woodland and roadside copse, while swathes of wild garlic carpets shady lanes in a lush, smelly haze of white. The fields of oilseed rape seem to hum with sunshine and the kind of scent that makes your head spin if you drive through with the windows down. The mud finally retreats. The long socks go back in the drawer. And suddenly those deliciously long evenings stretch out ahead, filled with the promise of barbecues, last-minute beach trips and Saturdays that don’t require seventeen layers It’s not just the weather. Spring makes everything feel lighter – conversations, to-do lists, even the news (just a smidge). It’s like the year’s turned a corner and remembered how to be hopeful again. So if you’re feeling a bit more buoyant than of late, a bit more inclined to dawdle on a dog walk, pull over for a photo of lambs in a field, go wild and sleep with the window wide open … you’re not alone. Spring’s doing what spring always does: reminding us to look up, breathe in and say yes to things again. And honestly, doesn’t this feel far more like the real new year? I said back in January that we shouldn’t force grand resolutions into the middle of midwinter – a season that’s really about rest, not reinvention. Spring, though? Spring is (quite literally) made for turning over new leaves. Now’s the time to start things. I swear there’s energy in all that fresh air. And if, like me, you’re itching to get out and about again (we finally ARE! The knee is healing – walks are officially back on the weekend plans!), the county’s show calendar kicks off this weekend with the Spring Show near Dorchester. We’ll be there (that’s us, top left) – do say hello if you spot us!
Laura x
On The green farming dream lies in tatters (The BV, Apr 25) George Hosford has put into words what so many of us in farming have been quietly shouting into the void. His piece was honest, measured, and devastatingly accurate. As someone who has spent the last five years painstakingly shifting our family farm towards regenerative practices – inspired and supported in no small part by the promises of SFI – I feel utterly betrayed. Like George, we’d been navigating the maze of applications, jumping through the ever-changing hoops with genuine belief that we were contributing to something bigger: food, yes, but also biodiversity, soil health, water quality. To have the rug pulled so abruptly is not just financially destabilising, it’s demoralising. DEFRA has crushed momentum and killed trust. Farmers like George – and those of us following his lead – aren’t asking for handouts. We’re asking for the stability and clarity to do what the government itself encouraged. Name and address supplied
I would like to thank George Hosford for his characteristically articulate and painfully necessary column in last month’s issue. I’ve farmed in Dorset for nearly 50 years, and I’ve rarely seen a policy decision as short-sighted and ill-conceived as the abrupt shutdown of the SFI offer. The government claims to support ‘public money for public goods’ – yet the moment it begins to work in practice, they abandon it. Farmers are not fools. We understand change takes time. But to promote a scheme, persuade us to adapt our methods, and then pull support with no warning? That’s not just incompetent – it’s a betrayal. George speaks for a whole generation of thoughtful, forward-looking farmers who care deeply about both their land and their legacy. The tragedy is, this government clearly does not. MC, by email
On Stranded: Dorset is one of the worst in the country (The BV, Apr 25) I love living here in North Dorset, but having moved from a town within the M25 20 years ago I have always been astonished at the lack of public transport. My children have both passed their driving test now as we see this as the only way for them to access most job opportunities – but this is not always possible, and young people can’t always afford this, or to run a car. If you can just about afford this it still reduces your take home pay, having to pay out for a car you can barely afford and keep on the road plus the insurance and petrol, which further cuts into the young people’s ability to ever live independently and have a life. Many years ago I did not have a car and I found that the buses were at the wrong time or not at all – they did not seem to cater to anyone who has a job, just for people who are retired and can go out at any time. I found that I could not take my children where they needed to be or get to appointments and finally I had to get a car again. As always I am angry about the government not looking to the future and investing in people, as they should: they would then reap the rewards later, instead it is all ‘what can I get now’. Lynn Close
Buses are needed for the young people here but also the elderly who may not feel comfortable driving anymore. Having a robust public transport system means a more connected county, more jobs, more business for towns.. the positives are overwhelming. Su Naz Geyik
Human ingenuity Surely a civilised society should be capable of meeting human needs while also protecting the environment for future generations – with the right blend of ingenuity and commitment. Barbara Humphreys, Shaftesbury
On the White Hart Link I couldn’t agree more with Judith K’s comments on the White Hart Link. Like her, I was excited at the idea of a proper long-distance trail for North Dorset, but when I looked closer, I couldn’t believe what it manages to miss. Stalbridge and Blandford are crying out for visitors to enjoy their town centres, yet the trail skirts round them. And to leave out the hill forts – some of the most iconic features of our landscape – is just baffling. It feels like such a wasted opportunity. A trail like this should celebrate the heart and history of North Dorset, not bypass it. I realise it’s a tricky job to create such a route, and impossible to please everyoine, but I really hope the route can be revisited and improved in the future. Roger S, Stalbridge
Jim Frear 100 – image by Courtenay Hitchcock The BV
Happy 100th Jim (‘Be nice to people – it’s infectious’ The BV, April) What a joy it was to read about Jim Freer. What a life – full of courage, humour, wisdom and warmth. If I can be even half as sharp, thoughtful and kind-hearted at 100, I’ll count myself lucky. Liz Hartley, The Tarrants
Jim sounds like the kind of man we all wish lived next door. Modest, funny and still curious at 100 – a proper example of a life well lived. I hope when I hit a century, I’m listening to Chopin and making the young ones laugh too. Frank Mitchell, Blandford
On The Tack Room I just wanted to say how good your equestrian coverage is. Jess Rimmer’s eventing yard diary is unmissable – full of humour, honesty and the glorious chaos of real horse life. I’m not a mad racing fan, but I tuned into Chris Wald’s column simply because it was about horses… and now I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll admit it’s far more interesting than I expected – insightful and very readable. The feature on farrier Abby Bunyard last month was excellent – beautifully written and so interesting. And while I’m at it, a special thank you to Courtenay for the photography. His images never fail to make me stop and linger – please do let him know how much they’re appreciated. What was wonderful is that all of this came to me on the back of the new Tack Room newsletter, which led me to The BV. We’ve long been missing proper equestrian coverage in Dorset – you’ve absolutely nailed it. More please. Jane Arliss, nr Sherborne
(The BV Tack Room is our exclusive, monthly round-up of the equestrian stories. We know you’re busy (horses don’t muck out themselves), so we’ve made it easy – just the horse bits, straight to your inbox, once a month. Sign up here – it’s FREE!)
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There’s always that one person, isn’t there? The one that stops to move an earthworm from the pavement. The one whose dog isn’t picture perfect, and has breath that could strip paint at ten paces. The one who goes to the shop for dog food and returns with two fancy rats, returned to the shop for being ‘a bit bitey’ (just me?). I long ago accepted and embraced the fact that I am, in fact, that person. I’ve fostered a parrot with an ASBO, taken in a tortoise found loitering roadside and I’ve successfully rehabilitated a seagull with a broken wing – of course his name was Steven. And I’ve long loved corvids. Norse myths and witchy tales aside, they’re incredible creatures and their intelligence is fascinating. Similar in many ways to parrots, but without the ‘look at me, I’m a beautiful, needy dilettante’ attitude. They belong, of course, in the wild, flying free: I would never even hope to have one as a pet. How could you? They’re iconic wild birds, and should always be afforded the respect to remain so.
Enter Lazlo Beware ex-husbands bearing gifts. Mine turned up last weekend with a tiny baby crow, found on the ground at a local Dorset campsite, and watched for several hours by a lovely couple from Belgium. His sibling didn’t make it, and at dusk the couple carefully scooped him up and took him to the campsite bar, where the ex-husband said ‘I know someone who might help…’. My teenager and I are mid binge-watch of What We Do In The Shadows, so the small bird was duly named Lazlo and installed in a spare budgie cage. Naturally, I crocheted him a little nest, and the feeding schedule commenced.
Lazlo proved to be an engaging little chap. Not afraid to shout for his supper and not averse to a cuddle. I sought advice from wild bird rescues (overrun with fledglings this time of year) and the consensus was that I’d hand rear him with a view to a gradual garden release once he was fully grown and much stronger. I was preparing his breakfast when he lurched out of his little nest towards the kitchen sink. To hand was a fetching Portmeirion flowerpot and I plopped him into it to prevent any free-diving into the washing up. He looked so ludicrous I took a short video – which I then stuck on TikTok under the username @shoutylazlo. The video (above)howed him with his little velvet head stuck out of the pot, looking exceptionally grumpy, and emitting a loud RAAAWK when the promised breakfast took too long to materialise. I have not TikTokked before. I use other social media for work and to post my many and varied craft failures: TikTok has always seemed to me the scrolling-pit from which I would not return. I was right. Within 24 hours, Lazlo’s video had more than 100,000 views. People all over the world were heavily invested in this small bird’s story. Comments like ‘Lazlo is me at breakfast time’, ‘Lazlo in The Pot of Shame is giving me LIFE’ and ‘I hope one day I get an Angry Pom-Pom like this’ came pouring in. ‘The time-out pot. He is FURIOUS!’ So far, so much fun – the only time I’ve gone viral before was moaning about people leaving litter on a beach. For whatever reason this little fellow had captured the attention of the Algorithm Gods, and I could see a social media career ahead of him. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Lazlo died after three days with me. I don’t know why – he seemed fine on his last feed – but the odds of survival for wild baby birds are slim. Should I even have taken him in? He may never have lived his fullest, wildest life after being raised in captivity, but doesn’t every little life deserve a chance? A sad ending then. But maybe not … Many TikTokkers commented that they’d donate to their local rescue in Lazlo’s name. And when Lazlo appeared on editor Laura’s TikTok, she recognised the mad bird rescuer lady, and asked me to write this, so I can share some info on what to do if you ever find a wild baby bird. The simple answer is leave them, usually.
Lazlo, still grumpy: this time about being in a budgie bath
What to do Fledglings spend time on the ground – closely watched by their parents – as part of their development. The exception is if they’re injured or if the parents don’t return. You can carefully examine a small bird and then return it whence it came: it is a myth that parent birds reject babies that have been touched by humans. Caring for a corvid isn’t for the faint-hearted (chopped raw baby mice, anyone?) and nine times out of ten you should contact your local wild bird rescue charity who will always help and advise. It’s not like Disney, they probably won’t grow up to be your magic familiar. And they frequently die, which is horribly upsetting. But this one little bird made a significant impact on an awful lot of people – me especially. I’m now in touch with country-wide corvid rescues to see how I can help and get more involved. So well done, Lazlo, you angry little pom-pom. Raaawk in peace.
