Gin Foster spotted a swallow over the lake by
Longhill Lane on Saturday (the 3rd) and I heard a Blackcap
while walking through the Spout. - JD
April 2nd
Signs of spring - this eggshell means that in a nest somewhere, a baby song thrush has hatched, just in time for Easter.
Gin Foster.
The warmer weather is bringing out butterflies and
bumble bees. The
hawthorn and
blackthorn hedges are
also stirring into life - if you didn't already know,
the blackthorn blossom comes before the leaves, while
in the hawthorn the leaves come first followed by the
(May) blossom.
I also saw a red kite meandering above The Parkes
yesterday. - JD.
March 27th
A whooper swan was spotted by John Vickers on the mere
next to Woolfall farm on Thursday. - JD
March 24th
There was a large flock of
linnets and/or
redpolls circling around the trees near the pumping
station in Monks Lane on the 22nd, and the odd hint of
blackthorn blossom here and there. Daisies have been
flowering in our lawn for a few weeks now, and the odd
dendelion is also starting to flower. - JD
A gang of wrens (well, at least three) have been busy in a pine
tree behind the Green Farm for two weeks now, busily
foraging for insects for hours on end. - JD
March 14th
The blackbirds are starting to sing as well now, with a song
which is similar to that of the thrush. If you can't
tell the difference go here for a
thrush and here for a
blackbird. - JD
March 8th
The Song Thrushes have been very noisy for the last few
weeks - there seem to be plenty around this year. In general
the birds are singing a lot more now as the breeding season
gets under way. I've also seen bees swarming in a tree down
Monks Lane this week. - JD
March 3rd
The chiff-chaffs are back, and are
warming up their Spring voices with the first tentative "chiff-chaff".
Also, for the bird-nerds, there was a
lone Mediterranean gull amongst the black-headed gulls on
the field near the canal.
For those who don't know, a
Mediterranean gull has a black head, while a black-headed
gull has a brown head....Gin Foster
March 2nd
There are plenty of signs of spring now, although
some of them started to appear much earlier in the year. The first
daffodils were opening in late December, but now they are
starting to flower in greater numbers. It's been a good year for
snowdrops with some great displays throughout February, and the
Lesser Celandines have been flowering
in Mill Lane since mid-January.
The winter migrant birds will soon be leaving but there are
still redwings and fieldfares about. Lesley Ross reports
seeing a fieldfare with a white cap - possibly a form of
leucism.
Kingfishers were seen on the village pond in January, and
now the
Mallard Ducks are starting to pair off and search
for nesting sites.
JD