Wildlife

 There is a lot of it about this year. Very noticeable. This means greenery and animals/birds. The local wood has had a superb show of wood anemone. I am told this is a sure sign of an ancient woodland. Well I had noticed the enormous oaks. After the anemones, came a carpet of celandines and now the place is a marvellous show of bluebells. They were nothing like so widespread last year. This year they are everywhere. Our house backs onto this little wood.

And the slightly further away is Wokefield Common which stretches for miles and miles. First the birches, followed by rowans (Hundreds of seedling rowans this year) and alders. No oaks yet and certainly no flowers at all!!

Now the wildlife which all happened in our garden yesterday, startling all of us, the dogs as well. We came out to walk the dogs at 6.45 am and Jerry stiffened and peered at our tiny front garden. Our collie was similarly anxious and came up to investigation. At which moment, something ran along the fence and disappear to a narrow slot by the house - but that is a dead end. So it must have turned back. It burst out of this slot and headed away from the house at very high speed. A Munkjack!

The second happening was in the back garden. It being a nice day we were drinking tea there when a sparrowhawk burst out of the sky, took a baby blackbird from its nest just over our fence in the neighbours garden. And departed. Oh dear. 

Both happenings were a first for us. I have noticed a lot more birds around the garden this year. Normally we have only robins and blackbirds. This year we have blackbirds, robins, sparrows, starlings, a thrush, magpies, rooks and tits of some kind nesting in our camellia (2 nests).

But of course there is also progress in doors on the Megado. Got to 3 metres now. Still on track to finish by the end of May. I am trying to decide what to put on next.