Home Patch (17): Preparing for the RSPB 'Make Your Nature Count' survey

Grey Squirrel ... there was one in our garden the morning

Many in the UK will be enjoying the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations over the weekend, with garden parties and park parties going on in most areas. If you find yourself in your garden or a local park, you might like to take part in the RSPB's 'Make Your Nature Count' survey, which runs from tomorrow, 2 June, through to 10 June.

You can read more about taking part under the headings below ...

• Why it might be good to take part
• How to take part 
• A check list of possible wildlife visitors 
• Last year's overall results

Readers of this blog will know that I have been trying to keep a close eye on wildlife in my 'home patch' (my garden, the sky above it and area I can see from my garden) and in and around my local nature reserve. I never cease to be amazed at how much there is to see in a small area.

There is, of course, much life in terms of small organisms in a single drop of water (see these extraordinary photos here) ... and William Blake is renowned for his 'poetic' line about seeing a world in a grain of sand. And speaking of sand grains and water drops, you might like my 俳句 Haiku here on the Asahi Haikuist Network site (ed. David McMurray) on The Asahi Shimbun newsite from Japan.