I LOVE my mornings. I consider myself very lucky that, after a short drive into work, I will spend the next half an hour just wandering around in the countryside and getting paid for it.

I usually do this on my own, which is wonderful, as I can sneak up on the wildlife or just sit and watch it in complete solitude. This past week has seen the start of everything suddenly waking up and poking its head out into the early spring air. There has been a flurry of activity bursting out from beneath the undergrowth; not least the partridges that always leave it to the last second before flinging themselves out from the bushes and frantically flapping past at head height. It is not so much an ambush as a surprise retreat.

The beautifully lyrical lilt and hovering, fluttering flight pattern has signalled the first arrivals of the skylark. They are such active little birds, always darting around and singing their enchanting tune. The sound always reminds me of the dunes on Holy Island, where they reside in large colonies. Apart from a small crest on the top of its head, the rare creature is quite indistinguishable from any other little brown bird.

They are not the only songsters around at the moment, though. The common (or not so common) sparrows that fill our winter gardens can build up quite a crescendo in the late evenings. On dry days, they like to roll around in the dust on the pathway. The blackbirds chip in during the mornings and evenings and on sunnier days, the thrush is beginning to warm up its throat. I have recently seen the black cap warbling away from the top of one of our newly-created tepees. Mind you, these structures seem to have very quickly been taken over by the birds on site. The little wren sneaks around the branches at the base, foraging for insects, and a blackbird seems to have started building a nest in the roof.

I have been able to get to within six feet of the resident kingfisher, which flies up and down the model of the river Tees. It always makes a very distinctive chinking call as it comes back to rest on Newport Bridge, which if you tune into it, makes the bird easier to find than looking for it with your eyes.

The fluffy pink long tail tits are bouncing around the mixed woodland in the mini beast area like a small band of teenage yobs. They picked off the last of the hawthorn berries last autumn and are back for the small buds.

The gold crests have to be one of the most colourful common garden birds we have in this country. We have huge gangs of them on site. They make such a cheerful babble as they roll through the sky.

It's not all happy times for the birds, though. A dainty collared dove had made a nest in the trellis by our tea room, and was being discreetly observed by all on site.

After two weeks of determined sitting on the egg, it was robbed and raided by a magpie. The same birds have also learnt that they can get a steady supply of eggs if they hang around the duck pond.

The only reason that we are so fortunate to have such a variety of birds at Natures World is that we create the right kind of habitat for them. We do not cut back our stems, long grass and shrubbery until spring. This leaves enough growth for some of them to shelter in over the winter, provides a place for their food source to hide in, or actually supplies food in the form of seeds and berries. Skylarks need long grass to nest in, gold crests will always migrate to areas planted with teasel, and sparrows need the cover of large evergreen shrubs. In return, they pick off some of the aphids, earwigs, slugs, snails and other destructive pests, as well as provide visual and vocal entertainment.

JOBS THIS WEEK

Prune out and dispose of any stems in the herbaceous border that have succumbed to winter damage or disease.

On a dry day, go out onto the lawn and with a long-bladed knife, remove any dandelions, thistles or plantains that you don't want to spread.

Start a regular weeding regime in the borders. Things will be starting to grow now, and that includes the weeds. If you keep on top of it, it will make the whole task less arduous.

READERS' QUESTIONS

MURIEL from Middlesbrough wants to know if it is possible to grow freesias outside in the garden this far north, and if so, how should she go about it?

THE sweet scent of the freesia is always one of my favourites in the garden and they need to be planted now, in March.

Space the corms out on compost which is filled half way up a large outdoor pot.

Cover with more compost, but only so that they are lying just under the surface.

Provide pea sticks of small cane wigwam for support, especially in windy areas.

Greenfly might be the worst problem they will suffer from, but simply spray regularly with a soapy solution. After they have died down, leave the pot outdoors until mid-autumn, then move it to a sheltered area, preferably in a greenhouse or cold frame. Alternatively, dig out, dry and store the corms ready for next year.

POSTSCRIPT

Brigid presents 'Ask about Gardening' on Sunday lunchtimes from 12-2pm on BBC Radio Cleveland 95FM. Send your questions to be answered in The Northern Echo to Brigid at brigidpress@hotmail. com or write to her c/o Naure's World, Ladgate Lane, Acklam, Middlesbrough.

Published:20/03/2004