Country diary: Nothing moves far at the escargatoire | Kate Blincoe

Caistor St Edmund, Norfolk: These clusters of snails - in this case, the garden variety - will stay stuck to the sheltered side of a tree until spring. But many are not safe from predationThe land here undulates, gentle hills set against the blue sky in the long-awaited sunshine. In the distance, I can clearly see the spires of the city of Norwich.In one of our fields, an avenue of mature oaks rises proud. Each tree is wrapped in ivy, like a scarf warming its trunk. Our roving flock of sheep has moved on to new pastures, but signs of their time here remain - they have nibbled all ivy leaves within reach, leaving a labyrinth of thick woody stems exposed, stripped of greenery. Tufts of white wool hang from the lattice of ivy stems, perfect to softly line a nest. Continue reading...