IT'S SPRING, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT

So, as lockdown continues the wildlife is busy nurturing the next generation, all going on during one of the warmest and driest springs ever recorded.

In and around the garden the house sparrows in the garage roof have appeared to fledge, along with a few other house sparrow families around here.

They’ve also seemingly gone off for a few days, possibly to rest, as their presence in the garden is limited at the moment.

The robins are definitely around a lot and seemingly intent on raising another brood, albeit in the same area as the two previous failed nests this year – one due to cold and the other due to magpie predation.

Whether a third nest will be successful is something I’ll be able to keep a close eye on as lockdown continues.

It’s great to be able to work in the garden and be surrounding by the lives of nature that being in the office would mean I’d miss.

The swallows are still gracefully taking to the skies and I think the pair are on eggs, because I only generally see one at a time.

A nest of swallows at the farm down the lane appears to have fledged this week.

And talking of fledgings, the great tits fledged earlier this week, but did so just as I left the house to go to the office for a few hours.

They definitely stayed around for a couple of days, but I was unable to count how many. I think four or five given the calling made from the youngsters for food just after fledging.

One thing the lockdown has enabled me to do it explore the area around the garden a little more.

I took my girls on a nature walk one evening this week and we went in search of a great spotted woodpecker nest in a nearby small wood.

We knew it was there through the power of Facebook, but no idea exactly where.

Luckily, we found it thanks to the noisy chicks, and were really fortunate to be there long enough to see the parents come to feed them.

I’ve seen them feeding in my garden, but had never seen a nest or watched a parent feed youngsters, and it provided a great result for my next generation and me to ensure we go back to the woodland again.