What have you seen

We heard the Chiffchat yesterday, and a Blackcap today. We have a white violet in flower in the garden and OH pointed out the Blackthorns are starting to show their blossom.

Saw our first bluebells out today, including a few of the white variety. Seems early to be seeing them.

Not a very exciting thing to see but intriguing nonetheless. When it was a bit warmer, (up to last Sunday), and I was sat out in the garden having a cup of tea I noticed a hoverfly stationary over one particular spot on the lawn. It was flying about three feet up and the stayed within about a three feet diameter area. There was nothing that was apparently significant about the location to make it stay there. There were little gnats flying about and if one flew into his territory he went after it although I didn't see him/her actually catch one. He would return to exactly the same spot after his attempted hunting attack. At one point it looked as though the gnats were goading him with three or four flying up to him. He would stay in the one spot for half an hour or more. The energy he must have expended in flying was hardly made up for in what he caught. This occurrence happened at the same spot on three consecutive days at various times during the afternoon. He may have been there at other times but I didn't notice him.

By the way, I've christened him Hector the Hoverfly 

John, Maybe it was checking out a suitable nesting area but they generally don't eat flying insects relying on larvae, pollen and dead matter.

Went on a walk today that encompassed pastures and woods and the number of first sightings of flowers was something else. Our first Bluebells, Wood Sorrel, Greater Sticthwort, Cowslips, White Comfry and oodles of Wild Garlic plus plenty of Wood Anemones.

Saw and heard Redpolls, Blackcaps, Ravens and our first Duckling which looked very lonely with mum and dad.

Lovely walk this morning including woods I've not done for ages. Beautiful primroses and celandine, Lords and ladies growing rapidly. Glimpses of blue showing among their leaves. Watched a pair of red kites and the green woodpecker, plus robins, tits and heard the chiff chaffs.

However I'm perplexed by these, I feel sure I should know their purpose but can't recall it 🤔.  Several dotted around.

No idea Bakers.

Had another enjoyable walk today and saw plenty are Lords and Ladies plus masses of Wild Garlic.

Watched a Dipper for a while from a bridge as he went about diving into the water for food. A Grey Wagtail on the river as well plus a lovely Goshawk over a wooded area. Nature didn't seem too worried about Covid and it was nice to join in for a while.

The Ransom is just starting to show it's flowers now down in Mill Wood, and I guess they will be in bloom at the same time as the Bluebells. However we will be away and miss the scene this year.

After hearing one drumming the other day I was able to spot a GSW today, as well as Long Tailed Tits and a couple of Herons.

We have lived in our house for 35 years, when we moved in the woods at the end of our fairly small garden had small trees, now they are so tall we live in permanent shade, which I moan about. However, reading posts here I realise they give us, in our garden, creatures that I take a bit for granted. Everyday visitors are - woodpeckers, blackcaps, jays, all breeds of tits, doves, bullfinches etc. The other evening I went out to suddenly realise I had a badger snuffling around a few feet from me. We regularly get deer in the garden, in the spring we have to pull a small piece of fencing back into place or they eat all the plants. This winter a young male took to sleeping in the garden overnight. One Sunday morning I went out to check him and wake him at 9.30 he arose slowly, blinking away the sleep and ambled off ... teenagers!

On our constitutional yesterday afternoon we had a pair of merlins pass over towards Portsmouth dockyard. Nearly as noisy as the Chinook that followed them.