I arrived at my new abode in a cardboard box.

Not very dignified, but at least the box had previously been used to transport twelve bottles of Chianti Classico; Fattoria Poggiopiano 2015 to be precise. So it is clear that at least my new humans have reasonable taste in wine, though I hope they are going to age it.

Before leaving my original home I was given a brief coiffure. I was excited to see the scissors and wondered what style was being planned for me. However, they trimmed the feathers of only one of my wings, which I thought rather slapdash and lopsided, but one mustn’t grumble.

Our new home seems to be situated in the corner of an Orchard. The granite wall provides some welcome shelter and shade, but really I need to be in the middle of the action to understand what is happening and report it to a wider audience.

Sometimes a small deer appears in the Orchard. They are timid but annoying creatures who are eating a lot of the apples before they are ripe and ready for others to share. The squirrels really need to sort out their priorities as they keep stealing the apples from the tops of the trees, taking one bite and burying them to no obvious purpose

My travelling companions were one of the White Ambers and a Black Sussex. The White Amber likes to think she has a Champagne tone to her feathers but let’s face it she’s just a white hen. On the other hand the Black Sussex does have beautiful green black feathers – but looks like she is dressed to go to a Ball rather than to forage in an Orchard. The White Amber is slightly older, so I am quite content to let her think she is in charge. The Black Sussex is no better than she ought to be, and I can see trouble ahead.

My new humans seem acceptable. I have decided not to name them because it is important not to become emotionally attached. There is a middle-sized one who has been very active in providing food and water and seems to want us to feed from its hand, and a slightly larger one. The slightly larger one apparently doesn’t always listen to what the middle sized one is saying. There was lots of fuss over setting up the ‘Leg Trig Fens’. An overcomplicated contraption and a mystery to a young bird like me.