Yesterday afternoon was spent mooching around the wood. I had bought some hay to place in and around the 8 nest boxes placed several weeks ago. Did such a good job of placing them that took time to find 2 of them!
Of particular interest was a pair of mallards that appear to have taken up residence on the "pond." Unfortunately the water here will slowly drain away so not sure of the ducks will stay to rear a family; shall keep an eye on them over the next month or so.
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| drake mallard |
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| female mallard |
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| quick hair arrangement |
A male sparrowhawk flew through the wood whilst great, blue and long tailed tits could be heard as well as at least 2 bullfinches. Chaffinches and jays were also noted, so now is the time to have a weekly monitor of the nest boxes to see if any birds are showing an interest.
The primroses are now in full flower and the hornbeam and hazel leaves are beginning to open, joining the already opened hawthorn leaves. Another fortnight and all will be flushed with hues of green.
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| healthy primulas |
A moth trapping session on the Saturday night gave up 3 species of moth: common quaker, small quaker and hebrew character, all ones already registered this year. Need a few warmer nights to start finding a better range of species and higher numbers, but all in all, a good start to spring. A couple more sunny days and the first butterflies will emerge from hibernation. Likely candidates are: brimstone, peacock, small tortoiseshell or red admiral.
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| 3 common quaker and 1 small quaker (top) |
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