The last day of the good weather today, I think. In fact it clouded over in the afternoon and rained overnight. Although sunny and warm in the morning, there was a brisk and chill wind. I was on the Horsefield again in the hope of seeing/hearing a grasshopper warbler that had been seen by a birding friend on Saturday. To no avail, however, sadly. I also dipped out on the whitethroat. I did run into some running friends, however, and they had seen what sounded like a male blackcap but I couldn't catch up with it.
It was a beautiful walk on the Horsefield, though, and as each day goes by now it looks more spring-like. I noticed red campion in flower as well as Jack-by-the-hedge (hedge garlic) and shepherds purse. Hawthorn is well in leaf and the flowers are just beginning to emerge; we shall soon move from the frothy hedgerows of blackthorn and exchange them for hawthorn before cow parsly and hogweed take their turn. One enjoyable part of walking the same 'local patch' regularly (every day during Covid Lockdown) is that you get to see in detail the changing seasons and even micro-seasons and really get to know the patch in depth.
Again there were quite a few butterflies out: my first holly blues and green-veined whites of the year as well as speckled wood, peacock, comma and small white. On the way back through the woodland burial ground I came across three roe deer.
