I have a clutch of guinea fowl eggs in the incubator

Now it is a low level quacking, like a hum at this stage, but which will soon translate into a non-stop burbling of splashy sounds as the ducklings find ways of converting the water dispensers into useful puddles.

We are rearing the ducklings for a shoot. They need the space. We have it. Andy the gamekeeper comes to feed and care for the ducklings as John is too busy elsewhere.

With some vestiges of warmth in the land, he is full pelt on top dressing, spraying, drilling and other areas of land management. And in his spare time refencing a field that he wants to move the cows into, but which at the moment would not stand for a cow to lean on the existing perimeter fence.

The set up for the duckling is massive.

All the front of the barn is hidden behind a huge stack of those big rectangular bales. Each pen has a big gas heater.

The whole arrangement will gradually expand to the back of the shed as the ducklings grow and their ground space needs enlarging. We are off to Scotland for a few days in the next week and Andy and his wife will live in and so be able to keep an eye on not only the ducks, but all the dogs too. My brother-in-law Geoff takes care of the stock.

I also hope Andy will watch over my broody hen and incubator. I am having limited success here. Three chicks hatched out last week in the incubator and are making good progress in a custom made pen.

But my plan, for them to be sneaked under a broody hen that was close to hatching off her own clutch of chicks, failed when she abandoned the nest. So undaunted I am having another go with a clutch of guinea fowl eggs in the incubator, set at the same time as we persuaded a broody bantam to sit some guinea fowl eggs in the hen house. It's worth a try and the keets, with any luck,

should all hatch together and so be accepted as the same hatch by the bantam. I hope.

Another broody we are observing is in the bird box on the side of the house.

The camera in the box links to the television. John and I find it far more satisfying to watch our little Mum fluffing herself up, sitting her eggs, doing a bit of housework by moving feathers around and repelling invaders, than watching other programmes.

This year Mum is a house sparrow.

Not as exciting as the bluetit or black cap other friends have in their boxes and the experts say we should not encourage house sparrows.

But she is enchanting to watch at any time of night or day. And she will do all the feeding and clearing up herself. What a refreshing change.