The joys of spring....

I was in Thorpe Wood just after half past six, to do the third breeding bird transect of the year. Despite it being late April, there was still a heavy frost, butr at least the birds showed some changes since my last visit. The flock of redwings has returned to Scandinavia and been replaced by blackcaps and chiffchaffs.

After I'd finished the transect I spent another couple of hours in the woods photographing dew-coated wood anemones and primroses (no bluebells flowering here) and some of the breeding birds including jackdaws and stock doves. This little blackcap was singing his heart out in the middle of a blackthorn bush on the wood edge: surprisingly the flowers are hardly out yet. By the time I left at nine thirty it was becoming pleasantly warm.

I returned home for a late breakfast, processed my photographs and then spent the rest of the afternoon gardening, though this did include significant periods of time lazing in the warm sunshine, which had also brought out peacock, comma and small tortoiseshell butterflies. I mowed the lawn for the first time this year, which instantly makes everything look much tidier :)

After donning my hairdresser role and cutting Alex and Ben's hair, I took Rosie out for an early evening walk around Castor Hanglands, in the hope of hearing nightingales. I failed to hear them, possibly because I didn't stay late enough (I had to get home and cook dinner). However, I made another more interesting record - a pair of mandarin ducks flying over the Pond Leg. This hole-nesting Chinese species has established breeding populations in some areas of the UK, including the Forest of Dean, but this is the first 'wild' pair I've seen locally.