A Male Yellowhammer Poses in the Blackthorn Blossom

 Having been to the doctors for a blood test and then spent the morning working it was good to receive a text from Nigel suggesting an afternoon walk.  We followed the usual route around the cemetery but left via the crematorium and returned over the Horsefield.  the highlight was the photographs I managed to get of a superb yellowhammer sitting amongst the blackthorn blossom.  It was good to catch up but we are both looking forward to getting further afield as lockdown continues to ease.

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The First Clear Shots of Chiffchaff.

The raucous call of a crow set off the harsh cry and whirring of wings dsplay of the pheasant as I entered the woodland burial ground.It was still cold at only 5C but sunny despite the cold wind from the north east.  I was pleased to finally secure some resonable images of the regular chiffchaff, although it wasn't calling.  I think that the cold weather is delaying the emergence of butterflies this year and migrants are keeping their heads down, more concerned about survival and feeding than displaying.  Despite the chill there was quite a bit of insect life about and I was pleased to see a dark-edged bee fly and a tawny mining bee.

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Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Dark-edged Bee Fly

Dark-edged Bee Fly

Long-Tailed Tit

Magnolia in the cemetery lodge garden

Robin

Robin

Tawny Mining Bee

Horsfield, Dead Wood and Woodland Burial Ground.

 Another cold day with a NE wind.  Only 5C but pleasant in the sun and sheltered from the wind when I saw a couple of small tortoiseshells nectaring on dandelions by the Dead Wood. Wych Elm was displaying it's superb seeds and in the woods I found the year's first coal tit for the patch and it was good to watch the buzzard pair.  Perhaps today's highlight was the excellent view of a pair of relaxed roe deer in the woodland burial ground.

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Further Signs of Spring Along the Freshney

 Despite the Arctic forecast the day turned out to be bright and sunny, although there was a nithering northerly wind making it feel close to freezing; in fact parts of the country have had snow.  We walked Jet along the Freshney as far as the ponds at the back of Morrison's and back.  Signs of spring are everywhere now with more migrant birds arriving every day and we saw our first swallow of the year zip past.  Back at Littlecoates church we carried on towards the leisure centre to check on the cowslips and were delighted to find good patches of them in flower and looking magnificent.  I managed to get close enough to a little egret to get some photos and also a magpie, another very wary bird, in full sun which showed off its colours to perfection.

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Long-Tailed Tits Reward in the Burial Ground.

 A grey and cold day today but I needed to get out to reach my 20 mile weekly waling target - sad, I know!!  I settled for a multi-lap trip round the woodland burial ground.  I was delighted to find the long-tailed tit pair gathering feathers to line their nest and the local chiffchaff was vocally buzzing about - either that or there are about 4; not sure which.  I was pleased to get some photos of buff-tailed bumble bee feeding on the backthorn despite the low temperatures.

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Chiffchaff

A Walk Around the Patch

 After a grey morning on Good Friday the came out briefly and it turned pleasant despite the chilly NE breeze.  My route took me across the Horsefield, over Peaks Tunnel and along the farm tracks looking for wheatear, to no avail.  A quick circuit round the dead wood and then I headed back over the Horsefield by which time the sun had gone in again and any insects had disappeared.  The blackthorn looked stunning, however, and the blossom has exploded over the last few days.  While the sun was out, so were butterflies and I found 6 small tortoiseshells.  By this time last year I had found comma and speckled wood on the patch, but no luck today.  I heard chiffchaff and spotted a willow warbler and enjoyed watching the buzzard pair displaying overhead and then heading towards town.  Red Dead Nettle is now in flower.

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A Cold and Grey, but Productive Day on the Patch.

 What a difference a day and a week makes.  Yesterday the temperature got to 24C in Grimsby yet today's maximum has been only 8.4C; gey and with a cold NE breeze off the sea.  The last time I walked round the woodland burial ground a week or so ago, it still looked like winter with only the odd patch of blossom and occasional hawthorn in leaf; today the blackthorn is a froth of white and very pale pink and by and large the hawthorns are all in leaf.  I had heard reports of willow warbler and blackcap in the wooded section so I was on the hunt.  The cemetery ground staff were working in the woodland cemetery when I arrived and had disturbed one of the roe deer which gave good views.  I was pleased to hear both willow warbler and chiffchaff and get some photos of the willow warbler but I dipped out on the blackcap.  The highlight of the day though was to find and photograph a couple of male bullfinches feeding on the blackthorn blossom.  This was a new one on me; I knew they ate apple buds but hadn't realised they ate other blossom as well.

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Blackthorn blossom

Blackthorn Blossom

Bullfinch

Bullfinch

Long-Tailed Tit

Willow Warbler