I’m lucky that around the area where I live there are many old orchards, often containing heritage strains of apples and perry pears. It was interesting to attend a FWAG meeting about orchard conservation, with a tour around an old and very large orchard in Conderton, Worcestershire. Lots of tips on how to care for your apple tree, and in my case, to prune them so I actually get some fruit! The orchard was full of birds; too early for fieldfares, but a large group of mistle thrushes, (my regular wintering one is also back in the garden this week), and a little owl living in one of the gnarly ancient hollow trees .