Laying down some rubber

Things were a bit snippy at Tense Towers during the weekend. Oops, apologies, I didn't mean to suggest Our Lass and I had fallen out, that should've read 'snipey'.

About three years ago, tentative plans were hatched to possibly think about maybe having some raised beds for growing vegetables, probably. These first steps were recorded for posterity here.

Since those distant days, the patch has been covered in silage wrap to suppress persistent weeds, and the wrap has been weighted down against gales from all compass points with dozens of tyres. Pretty, it ain't.

However, despite the unnatural setting, House Sparrows and Starlings regularly forage for invertebrates around the tyres, and Pied Wagtails occasionally pop in for a pitstop. This weekend, excitement shifted up a gear, with a visit from a Snipe.

Quite why it prefers this habitat to the miles of actual rocky shore located not very far away is a complete mystery, but we appreciated it! It must be said that, as soon as the Snipe wandered into the tussocky grass, its cryptic camouflage was much more effective.