Down came a blackbird

This is Bertie, a very tame blackbird who visits our garden on a daily basis. In fact he's usually waiting on the kitchen doorstep at breakfast, beak almost pressed up against the glass doors, for his morning feast of raisins. He's been calling now for over two years and has raised numerous broods in that time. We've even been priviledged to see him feeding his fledglings on the doorstep too. And now several of his offspring are regular visitors. In fact the blackbird population loves raisins so much we're getting through a packet of Sainsburys' Californian Raisins (they're particularly juicy and a clear favourite with the garden birds) every week.

Handsome hubby was becoming rather jealous of the small, dark and sultry Bertie and joked that one day the indoor writer would be carried off to the blackbird's love nest. Which prompted her to pen a short story on the whole illicit affair. You can read 'Down came a blackbird' here, where it recently came second in the Exeter Writers' Short Story Prize 2012.

Do read the winning story 'Driftwood' by Jo Barket Scott as it is both haunting and emotionally charged.

So you never can tell where inspiration will come from - sometimes it can be perched right on your doorstep.