Dusk Plantation

 

Wildflower Lawn, Hill Road

#11 Pulmonaria

#12 Wood Violet

#13 Forget-me-not 
 

Dusk, Jevington Plantation

 

Birling Gap

 The patch of daffodil that are spreading near the car park look very strongly like our native species. The Gorse, which is almost always in flower, was fantastic with its intense coconut ice aroma.

Possible wild daffodil 

Spring Flowers, Jevington Plantation

Wood Anenome

Sweet Violet. This patch at the foot of the wood's biggest Walnut Tree.
 

Wildflower Lawn, Hill Road

 #9 Daisy

#10 Petit Spurge

Palmate Newt, Hill Road

A closer look at the tadpoles in the pond revealed some of them to be eats! Then we spotted this adult Palmate Newt.

 

Sky, Langney

 

'Peach Light', Jevington Plantation

 For the last few days, as dusk starts, a strange peach-coloured light suffuses the wood. The last few Wrens stop and all the Blackbirds start to sing.

The shadow of the Earth

 

Wildflower Lawn, Hill Road

 Two more species on the lawn, despite the colder weather.

#7 Cowslip

#8 Creeping Speedwell

Charleston Bottom, South Downs

 A glorious if chilly March day. The path leading up out of Litlington has a gentle but relentless gradient. Leaving behind the songs of Chaffinch as we climbed up into the downs and into the land of Skylark and Buzzard. The woods are still bare, but buds are swelling on the twigs.

Colchester Zoo

Wreathed Hornbill Rhyticeros undulates

Green and Black Poison Arrow Frog

Strawberry Poison Arrow Frog

Amur Tiger
 

Guianan Bearded Saki Monkey Chiropotes sagulatus

99.6%, Hill Road

 Peak full moon was yesterday.

Dusk, Hill Road and Jevington Plantation

 Strange colder weather, with heavy rainstorms out to sea. Spring continues at a slower rate. The recent clouds have cut off my observations of the planets, as Venus then Jupiter and lastly Mars became prominent each early evening. 

In the wood Song Thrush, Robin, Blackbird and Wren sang. A new song was Starling, meaning the Spring population is arriving.

Wildflower Lawn, Hill Road

 Displaying Ravens over Hill Road and a Red Kite. Numerous eruptions of Jackdaw socialising flocks. 

First Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing.

After thinking about it for years, I have decided to catalogue the different flower species that appear on the rewilded front lawn.

#1 Crocus

#2 Dandelion

#3 Anenome Blanda

#4 Lesser Celandine 

#5 Daffodil

#6 Primrose

Cuckmere Valley and Friston

 Marvellous March weather, reminding me of lockdown in 2019. 

Walking upriver towards Littlington the valley was quiet, with some wonderful wide-open landscape. Still good numbers of overwintering Wigeon present, not convinced by the warm weather. The resident Shelduck pairs looked splendid in the sunshine. Teal, Mallard, Shoveler and a few Oystercatcher present at some of the pools. Every ditch had a hunting Heron.

Along the river Little Egret and Redshank, with Bluetit, Goldfinch and calling Greenfinch. Overhead were Kestrel, Buzzards, Mediterranean Gull and a pair of Raven performing paired-flight breeding behaviour. 

Crossing to Friston Forest at Charleston Reedbed, the woods were bright and bare, but Bluebell leaves were showing.

Night, Jevington Plantation

 After the dusk chorus and a light rain shower, the wood was silent.

Spring, Jevington Plantation

An absolutely marvellous day, with the burst water main getting everyone sent home.

Beautiful walk through the wood. I saw my first Brimstone, looking so bright it seemed unreal. Several Buff-tailed Bumblebees, a Buzzard and most unexpectedly, two small groups of Mediterranean Gulls heading east over the downs. I took the old track up to Willingdon Hill then cut south across Foxholes Brow, through the bronze age barrow cemetery. I wonder if the views were just as tremendous when they were built.