The Price of Glass

The design of our house included lots of windows, in part because of the superb views but also in recognition of the importance to good health of natural light in an area which, particularly in winter, tends to lack sunlight.

However, as with so many good ideas, there's a price to pay, and that price is levied most heavily at this time of year, when the fledglings are honing their flying skills. We've had a number of small birds crash into the windows recently. Most, like this chaffinch, fly away after a few minutes dazed recovery, probably with little harm done beyond a headache. But yesterday one unfortunate was found by the younger of our ageing cats.