Spring sunshine, dark clouds, huge hailstones and ice at night!

Blue Tit in early morning sunshine

Spring is definitely in the air and a pair of Blue Tits are regularly looking at the nesting box Dave prepared at the weekend.  The early morning and late afternoon birdsong is delightful and the garden is full of Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long Tailed Tits using the feeders. There are plenty of Dunnocks, too, a pair of Robins, a pair of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, too many Wood Pigeons and far too many Parakeets!

A Mallard and her hybrid mate lay claim to one of the nest boxes

Four pairs of mallards are showing great interest in the two riverside nesting boxes and this pair appear to be the dominant pair.  We have two other boxes on the top deck and hope that a pair will nest there too as it is safe from both foxes and mink.  

For the first time in ages, a pair of Mandarin Ducks flew in from the park yesterday to check out the area again.  Usually, from Spring through to late Autumn we have at least 5 pairs visiting the garden.

Storm clouds lift just before sunset

Yesterday's weather was pretty dramatic yet again.  When the sun shone it was warm but the rain was torrential and the hailstones thundered off our roof, boat cover and the ducks' backs!  When will we return to a more normal and typical weather pattern?  The intensity of the rain when it falls these days is far greater than it used to be and all too regular.  Let's hope that we finally get some settled, gentle and warm Spring weather very soon.