Cold and misty early, hot and sunny later.
Plenty of birds singing now. Our resident cock Blackbird is certainly letting everyone know that he is about. There is a Robin singing almost all day long, I guess he must stop to feed at times. There are several pairs of Hedge Sparrows in the garden and you can usually hear one singing. I'm sure that one pair are nest building near the house, although I haven't found a nest yet. Wrens have nested in the Ivy covering a fence in past years, so may do so again. There are definitely Jackdaws busy in one of our chimneys.
I watched some Jays this morning, searching under oak trees,no doubt looking for acorns that had been hidden during the autumn. Magpies have been busy nest building, or at least adding to last years remaiders. Some of them are becoming quite enormous, nests that is, not the birds.
Blue and Great Tits seem to abound, so much so that they appear to be the only birds about at times. Starlings seemed to be much in evidence today after going some days without seeing any. Greenfinch numbers seem to have picked up here and Goldfinches are very numerous.
Plenty of squirrels around today and rabbits, including youngsters. A Peacock butterfly was also sighted this morning just sunning itself on the ground.