March 2010

22nd Woke up in time to hear a beautiful dawn chorus which seemed to rumble all around, high close notes and far away song creating a cloud of sound. A mix of sun and rain today. First daisies in Dad's grass and blossom on trees.
"It's not Spring until you can plant your foot on 12 daisies" Not yet then.
23rd First aubrecia flower and the jasmine is also flowering in the ivy. The robin is visiting everyday for the meal worms.
29th Weather is wet and a cold spell is forecast. I have a few yellow flowers coming up they have self seeded. Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) from the buttercup family.

Lesser Celandine
There is a flower, the Lesser Celandine
That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain.
And, the first moment that the sun may shine
Bright as the sun himself,tis out again!
W.Wordworth

4th March 2010

4th- Saw a wren in the garden today and a thrush down the road. I haven't seen a thrush for ages. The Blackbird is eating the meal worms by the beak full
8th Pigeon is carrying nesting material.
lots of "pairs" in the garden: blackbirds, robins, blue tit, great tit, long tailed tits, Cole tits, goldfinch, collared doves, pigeons and a gang of sparrows.

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) A group is called a "charm" I quite agree.
They lay 4-6 eggs and eat seeds and insects.
12th 6 Longtailed tits dashing around. It's madness for a while.
15th Found a juicy caterpillar outside.
17th First large bee of the season.
21st Wet weekend First butterfly of season, a painted lady I think. My daffodils in flower.

March 2010

 "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers."

"For every fog in March there will be a frost in May."


"March comes in like a lion goes out like a lamb."

1st- Beautiful and sunny but cold. 4 Goldfinch in the garden. They have come back hurrah! Catkins on the Hazel and daffodils flowering. Saw a fox in the road, he was in good condition.
According to the met office it has been the coldest winter in 30 years.

8th Feb 2010

8th - Sparrowhawk in garden, couldn't get a picture his piercing eyes spotted me.
18th - The Goldfinch feeding at the table for quite some time. They are beautifully coloured and always look like they are chattering to each other. Mob of squabbling starlings also feeding scaring everything else off.
26th - Saw pigeons mating they think its spring.
29th - Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)at the top of the road in flower.
On the 2nd Feb village maidens would wear them as a sigh of purity.