Hilda the hen sat on the wrong nest and is now raising a clutch of ducklings. The hen appears unaware that the duckling are not hers and is raising them as her own. I expect she will be a little surprised when they start learning to swim.

This beetle could pose the biggest threat to the UK’s woodlands since Dutch Elm Disease. The Asian long-horn beetle  has been found to be breeding in the UK for the first time. There are now fears that as the young beetles mature into adults they will spread around the country. The beetle has been found in Paddock Wood in Kent where experts have been checking trees for the holes they make when they lay their eggs. Any infected trees will be chopped down and incinerated before the beetles can reach maturity. It is hoped these measures will help to halt the spread of the creature. The danger is from the beetle’s larvae which burrow through the wood looking for food. This causes it to become brittle and the tree dies. Poplars and willows are at most risk but other trees such as sycamore, elm, horse chestnut, apple, pear and cherry species can also be affected.

I see so many articles about things that look like Jesus, I am beginning to wonder whether my blog may need a new category to reflect this. The latest image of Jesus has been spotted on the back of a stingray. As you can see from the picture this uncanny resemblance was recently caught on camera on a South Carolina  beach. Once again I leave you to draw your own conclusions until we come across the next thing that looks like Jesus.

A hermit crab at Legoland in Windsor has made himself a new home out of a Lego shell. The shell was made by Legoland staff out of multi-coloured bricks. The crab named Harry appears quite happy in his new shell and judging by the video of him moving around, doesn’t seem to mind that he looks a bit different to the other crabs. In fact Harry rejected more conventional shell homes in favour of the more brightly coloured alternative.

From M&S this sweat proof shirt could be popular this summer. Called the Dry Extreme  it claims to be the solution to wet patches under the arms. It has special Smartweave technology that works by drawing perspiration away from the skin and into the inner fabric, then dispersing it as vapour. The shirts initially went on sale last year when they were tested in a small number of stores but will be offered nationwide this year. They cost  £29.50 for the long sleeved version and £27.50 for the short sleeved.

The consumer magazine Which? has confirmed what many of us might already have suspected. it seems pack sizes are shrinking. Over a dozen kitchen staples have been highlighted as having shrunk in size. Amongst the offenders are Kellogg’s Coco Pops and Branston Pickle. Although the pack sizes have shrunk the prices appear to have remained unchanged. Personally the thing I have noticed most is the Cadbury’s cream egg. I have no proof but they certainly seem much smaller than they used to be. Other items highlighted in the article include Ambrosia Creamed Semolina, Birds Eye Crispy Chicken and Fairy All-in-one Dishwasher Tablets.

We spent yesterday at the allotment putting the potatoes in the ground and doing some general weeding. So far we have onions and leeks growing and now two lines of potatoes. With the help of my father we are gradually digging out the next area of ground ready for some more crops. Meanwhile we have carpeted as much of the ground as possible to kill the weeds in preparation for digging. The carpet makes a great home for a variety of creatures and I spent much of the day amusing myself trying to catch the slow worms and frogs. We have also come across a mouse hole which we disturbed whilst digging. I had so much fun catching creatures that I didn’t get an awful lot of work done. The plot is starting to look a lot better and judging by all the blossom on the damson trees we should have a good crop this year for some more lovely jam.

Penny is now 18 weeks old and is fast developing into a proper little person. She now sleeps all night from 10pm through until at least 8am in the morning. Still very hungry she spends most of the day drinking milk and we are now starting to give her little tastes of various fruit and vegetable purees. It’s hard to remember the tiny little baby she was back in November, she is certainly growing fast and I guess it won’t be long before she learns to crawl.

If a Cadbury’s Cream Egg is not already sweet enough for you then you might want to try some of these recipes. All made with cream eggs they feature such classics as this Cadbury’s Cream Eggs benedict made with cream eggs, a doughnut and frosting. Personally I think they would be a little too sweet for me but they certainly look interesting.