Swaddywell at the start of spring

This morning I had the pleasure of guiding a local walking group round Swaddywell NR. There was a good turn out, despite the weather being rather grey and mizzly, and they were interested in everything I showed them. 

Early March isn't the ideal  time to show off the reserve's wildlife, and quite a lot of the time I had to encourage them to imagine the swathes of soft-pink orchids that flower in the summer and the butterflies that swarm over the flower-rich banks. 

But we managed to see a juvenile Great Crested Newt and several baby Smooth Newts, enjoyed watching Red Kites low overhead, displaying and gathering sticks, saw some early-flowering Goat Willow and spotted a single Colt's-foot flower! And they're all looking forward to visiting again later in the year!