I’m not a great fan of mini-beasts and insects. No, I’m definitely not. They give me the heebie-jeebies! I always think that flies will get in under my feathers, so if I see any anywhere near me, I hiss at them and try to chase them away. So, you can imagine how disconcerted I was to find out that my human owner has just finished constructing an insect hotel. I really don’t know what’s come over him. A parrot hotel would have been fine, but no, he’s just made a special hotel

Last week, my owner had to make a journey from Penzance in Cornwall to the edge of Exmoor in Devon. It was the day after some heavy snow,...