The Old Vicarage- early Spring

Spring is slowly unfolding at the Old Vic with singing Chiffchaff and Blackcaps, Bullfinches feeding on the Cherry Plum buds, a Robin building a nest in the porch, Blue Tits checking out the nest boxes, Redwings in the Sheep Field sub-singing, Woodpigeons eating Poplar catkins, Siskins singing, Greenfinches butterflying, Mallards in the neighbours pond , flowering Daffs, Crocus and Snowdrops and humans (i.e Bryan, Jacob and I) out with the rotavator putting in the first early potatoes. 

Updated Ebird for 2022 HERE.

On the moth front, looks like I missed out on some mild evenings while away in Az but have had a couple of micros in the house or side of the house including Agonopterix heracliana and Acleris cristana. I put the Robinsons actinic out a couple of nights ago but absolutely nothing.   

A couple more additions to the mini-zoo with two new glass catfish for the aquarium and a Madagascar Marbled Mantis to replace the Giant Asian Mantis that died of abdominal collapse. 

Male and female Bullfinch on the Cherry Plum

Singing Chiffchaff- no winter records so presumably these are local wintering birds that have moved into position. Two male Blackcaps singing this morning but one of them did winter in the garden.

A Pheasant has been in the garden recently.

Up to nearly 50 Redwings feeding in the Sheep Field until a couple of days ago. There was lots of sub-singing going on but seems like most cleared out now with fewer birds feeding on the field and no singing now. This rear bird in this image looked darker and heavier streaked than the others- perhaps an Icelandic Redwing? 

Acleris cristana

The first potatoes have gone in the mini-farm with winter crops Onions, Garlic and Broad Beans still going and yesterday we harvested the remaining Beets and Cabbages which remarkably survived in good edible shape all through the winter- it was a particularly mild one. 

Less Siskins in the garden now but the few that remain are singing and holding territory- will be great if they stay to breed after a bumper winter presence. The zero counts reflect my trips abroad.