There is a patch of ground under some trees on a small island in the middle of a lake on the grounds of Nottingham University where the animals are fearless. My wife calls it the magical forest. Squirrels, mallards and pigeons rush to meet you; stock doves linger just a little further back; smaller birds such as great tits, chaffinches and blue tits also come remarkably close. We visited the lake last week and were delighted to find a nuthatch with equal boldness. It is a beautiful bird. I was able to get within 1 or 2 metres to take this photo with our digital camera. Remarkable!
