Here. Hare. Here! (quote from "withnail & I)
Springtime developments at Dick Leigh chainsaws in Barrow.
The long tailed tit nest that I watched being built 12 days ago was raided :( probably by a magpie that I've seen hanging around.
Blackbird nest was also raided and 5 eggs taken. Jay was the culprit this time. Most of my nestboxes are occupied by bluetits and the coal tits are perfectly safe in their concrete nesthole.
The sparrowhawk has made 4 pigeon kills in the last fortnight. The feral flock (sometimes 20 strong) doesnt hang around the feeding stations as much now. Good. I'd rather have sprawks than feral pigeons. The mallard eggs havent hatched yet, but should soon. The kestrels are in my nestbox for the 3rd year. Hopefully sucessful this time, I saw them mating yesterday.
But, the most unusual sighting recently was Brown Hare, in one of the back fields! I saw a cat from whiteacre lane in one of our fields, shoo'ed it off with a well aimed clump of mud and went to see what it was doing, and found a leveret!















Then I saw an adult hare. The last hare I saw in this area was across the road towards the railway, about 3 years ago.
Saw the Adult hare again today but no sign of the leveret that I saved from the cat.