And so it begins...

The Bluebell season is now underway locally, with the first scatter of plants now blooming. Three years ago, in April 2020, we were pretty much at peak Bluebell by this date - I estimate it'll be a couple of weeks before we reach that point this year, though warm weather predicted for next week might hasten things along.

I was up early to complete my second breeding bird transect of the year - possibly less birdsong than on 30th March, though I added a few additional species including Coal Tit (which I suspect will actually be breeding in garden conifers next to the reserve), Jay and Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

Last year at least two pairs of the latter species bred, but I'm not convinced that any are breeding this year. Similarly, the breeding Jackdaw population seems to have plummeted even though there are more of them in the local neighbourhood and I've no evidence that Nuthatch is breeding. 

However, on a brighter note I've recorded Treecreeper twice in the same part of the wood, and heard the male singing, so it seems likely that this is breeding - definitely good news.