April update

Last night in the garden - 2 Pipistrelle bats chasing each other in what looked like a mating flight.

Spring is getting off to a slightly slow start. The cold nights must have the birds delaying nest building for a few days.
All the nestboxes have been inspected, sometimes by multiple hopeful occupants, but no nesting yet. The crows have 2 nest sites now and I've watched the long-tailed tits collecting spiderwebs for their delicate little domes.
Lesser Celendine is an early wildflower that is quite widespread in the back fields at the moment.


















I've been to 2 interviews this week for the posts of voluntary countryside ranger at spring wood (Whalley) and Hen harrier presenter at beacon fell. More about both my new projects once I get started.
Whilst at spring wood for the interview I saw mistle thrushes building, nuthatch and chiffchaff calling and plenty wild garlic flowering. The next spectacle at the wood will be the carpeting of the bluebells.

Anyway....I'm off camping for a week, on the Isle of Arran and on the Mull of Kintyre. I wont be posting for a week but expect to add at least 20 species to this years list and hopefully get some great digiscoped shots of golden eagle, hen harrier, short eared owls, divers, seals, otter?......

Back on the 20th April.