Leighton Moss.
Redshank stirring up the mud with its feet.
Flock of Redshank.
Several of these were in one of the hides. Totally harmless.
Archive for the ‘Elizabeth Mills’ Category
Leighton Moss
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Visited Leigthon Moss for the first time yesterday - drove past the entrance once as we were expecting something along the lines of Martin Mere - more of a reserved reserve. We had a lovely lunch in the excellent cafe before heading off to the hides. Watched Nuthatches and Marsh Tits on the feeders near the visitor centre and my brother got the shock of his life when a Sparrowhawk flew in sending the feeders spinning, though it didn't make a kill. Lots of Redshank and Lapwings. Saw my first Marsh Harrier, I think it was at the Allen Hide. Lot darker and chunkier than the Hen Harriers we are used to around Slaidburn.(Saw two on the drive over the tops) There were several egrets at the Eric Morecambe hide and a Kingfisher flew past at eye level calling. Wherever we went we saw lots of Dragonflies hawking above the water and reeds and we were told there were Hobbys about feeding on them. Bit useless as a birdwatcher as I kept getting mesmerized by the beauty of the place with the sun sparkling on the water and every so often little shoals of fish would leap across the surface of the water after midges setting the water glittering. The sound of the breeze in the reeds was also very soporific. Will be nice to visit in Autumn and Winter when all the migrants turn up.
Walking through the reedbeds on the causeway.
One of the many Dragonflies we saw.
Redshank stirring up the mud with its feet.
Flock of Redshank.
Several of these were in one of the hides. Totally harmless.
Redshank stirring up the mud with its feet.
Flock of Redshank.
Several of these were in one of the hides. Totally harmless.
Osprey sighted over Widdop Moor and Reservoir
Monday, August 30th, 2010
Philip Booker emailed me a sighting of an Osprey over Widdop Moor and Reservoir East Lancashire heading south.
Ospreys pass through this area heading north in spring and south in late summer early autumn they often stop over at Stocks reservoir and I have seen one there.
Each year the RSPB track some of the Loch Garten Ospreys as they migrate back to Africa one of the birds they tracked came through East Lancs have a look here http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/lochgartenospreys/index.aspx click on previous years.
Ospreys pass through this area heading north in spring and south in late summer early autumn they often stop over at Stocks reservoir and I have seen one there.
Each year the RSPB track some of the Loch Garten Ospreys as they migrate back to Africa one of the birds they tracked came through East Lancs have a look here http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/lochgartenospreys/index.aspx click on previous years.
The Glorious 12th!
Friday, August 13th, 2010
Walked over Weets from Salterforth to Todber. Weather started lovely and sunny - forecast for sunshine and showers. Saw several Green Veined White males battling and two paired up. There were also several Meadow Browns flying about near moorland path. Very dark storm clouds started gathering and we got caught in a torrential downpour. Just as it started we spotted two foxes crossing the track ahead of us. One spotted us and leapt over the wall into the wood, then kept peeking back over at us from behind a bramble. The other took longer to spot us and we got one photo before it saw us and charged off after its mate. It looks so anxious in the photo. Beautiful long tail. Worth getting very wet for.
Green Veined White Butterflies
Meadow Brown Butterfly (male)
Birk Bank
Friday, August 6th, 2010Photographed my all-time favourite fly feeding on a patch of wild mint at Birk Bank near Clougha - the wonderfully named Tachina grossa. It's about an inch long with a beautiful yellow head, glossy black back and a very bristly bottom. The larvae hatch from eggs laid individually in burrows and which have kindly been supplied with a nice fat caterpillar each before Mum left. Wonderful!
More Hedgehogs
Sunday, August 1st, 2010
Earlier on in the year I said I was worried that there seemed to be less hedgehogs around than usual, so I suppose it serves me right though in the nicest possible way that I now have at least three hedgehogs visiting the garden to be fed. There is at least one large one and last night for the first time we had two small hedgehogs at the same time.They fed side by side though they kept trying to jostle each other away and eat as much as possible as quickly as possible. One was lighter and slightly larger than the other. I also found a hedgehog asleep in a pile of bubblewrap in the garage that same morning. After eating the little hedgehogs trundled off in opposite directions, watched one go behind the house and eat fat fallen from birdfeeders, then it had a little scratch and sleep curled up behind house before heading back for more catfood. We still have to leave a little gap between the saucers for the baby hedgehogs to get their snouts under otherwise they can't dislodge the top dish and just round around it in panicky circles till we go out and move it.
Baby Hedgehog
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
The little hedgehog has sort of learnt how to nudge the top saucer off the food, sat eating in the rain with it on its head, not sure if intentional ! Ended up sat in the plate as usual.
Stocks Reservoir
Saturday, July 17th, 2010
16/07/10
Hogweed, Pink Valerian, Meadowsweet, Blackberries, Knapweed, Thistles, Nettles and Meadow Vetchling all flowering which meant there were loads of insects flying on a warm, breezy overcast day with some sunny spells. Some of the hogweed flowers were just covered in soldier beetles and various flies. Meadow Brown butterflies are really hard to photograph as they drop to the ground to avoid predators (photographers) attention.
Sericomyia silentis
Eristalix pertenax
Sunfly, Heliophilus pendulas
Sawfly, Tenthredo arcuata
Grypocoris stysi
Gasteruption jaculator with Soldier Beetles
Soldier Beetles, Rhagonycha fulva
Meadow Brown
Hogweed, Pink Valerian, Meadowsweet, Blackberries, Knapweed, Thistles, Nettles and Meadow Vetchling all flowering which meant there were loads of insects flying on a warm, breezy overcast day with some sunny spells. Some of the hogweed flowers were just covered in soldier beetles and various flies. Meadow Brown butterflies are really hard to photograph as they drop to the ground to avoid predators (photographers) attention.
Sericomyia silentis
Gasteruption jaculator with Soldier Beetles
Soldier Beetles, Rhagonycha fulva
Meadow Brown
Hedgehogs
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Tawny Owl on evening walk
Friday, June 25th, 2010
Went for a lovely evening walk last night around Todber, as we walked up to Brogden Lane we got fantastic views over the drumlin field towards the Dales, the low sun hightlighting the drumlins gentle curves.
Great Tits, Blue Tits and Longtailed Tits all feeding fledglings, we could hear them calling as they worked their way through the tree tops. Barrie managed this shot of a Longtailed Tit fledgling way up in the canopy.
Barrie spotted a Tawny Owl, all I could see was a sun dappled tree till it turned round and fixed its huge brown eyes on me (or was it Bramble ?). It sat tight for a minute or so, with Blue Tits and Great Tits coming within inches of it - either they hadn't noticed or didn't feel it was a threat as it wasn't actively hunting. It took off with silent wingbeats. Amazing.
The hedgerows are full of flowers, Ragged Robin and Yellow Loosestrife waved among the grass flower heads and Honeysuckle, Dog and Hedge Roses filled the evening air with their perfume. There was a lovely sunset and we sat and listened to the welcome breeze stirring the beech leaves as the setting sun edged them with gold.
Elizabeth Mills 2010-06-23 12:46:00
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010Female Great Spotted Woodpecker and fledglings are daily visitors to our feeder by the bedroom window. Only slight niggle - starts hammering away at the peanuts about 5.30 am, whilst constantly softly calling (sounds like a small dog yapping in the distance). I will grind up some peanuts and put them on the bird table then we will all be happy. The young Woodpeckers are stunning and wait patiently in the fir tree to be fed, annoyingly when she does, she takes them into denser foliage so I can't photograph them. We also had a young Carrion Crow in the garden, this sent our local Jackdaws potty, they really were not happy. Found a Narcissus fly in a friends garden in Foulridge, thought it was a Bumble Bee at first till I noticed its eyes and flat abdomen. We had a walk from Cross o' Greets and saw some Large Red Damselflies flying in tandem by an iron stained pool. Every so often a pair would bob down to the water surface so the female could lay her eggs, wings glittering in the sun. We also saw two Gold Ringed Dragonflies flying over the water and resting on heather - if they are not please tell me.
Click on photos to enlarge
Great Spotted Woodpecker |
Gold Ringed Dragonfly |
Carrion Crow |
Red Damselflies |
Narcissus fly |
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Gisburn
Saturday, June 19th, 2010Its been a wonderful week weatherwise here in Gisburn, long sunny days with a pleasant breeze, making a walk in the countryside very inviting. Treetops and hedgerows are full of fledgling Blue Tits and Great Tits insistently calling all day long to their poor harassed parents who look very tatty. Watched a pair of Blue Tits feeding their young all constantly calling as the adults worked their way through one tree gathering beakfuls of caterpillars, then all at once took off as one to the next tree along, and carried on in this way along the hedge. One Blue Tit seemed to think its sibling was being unfairly favoured over it and edged along the twig until it was above its rival then landed on it knocking it off its perch! We have also been watching a family of Blue Tits nesting in a broken bough, the parents squeezing through tiny holes to feed their noisy young, who are starting to look out of the entrance, hopefully they'll fledge soon. Watched a Grey Squirrel collecting fungus. Saw three woodpeckers all sat on a tree trunk, noticed them as heard drumming, do youngsters get lessons? Friday afternoon saw a large flock of Lapwings near Foxhill Barn, wheeling and calling, also saw a Bullfinch in the hedgerow, Bullfinches have the most boring call I have ever heard. Female Woodpecker and young are coming to peanut feeder in garden, female keeps pecking twigs off Fir Tree and chucking them away.
Click on photos to enlarge
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Elizabeth Mills 2010-06-09 10:51:00
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Tuesday 8/06/10
Very muggy overcast day. Went up to Stocks Reservoir for a walk, followed by a drink and cake in the cafe there( The tiffin and the chocolate cake are both very good). The water level looked very low, though the fishermen said it often gets lower. On drive home in late afternoon, near Slaidburn, we saw a Little Owl with one youngster sat on a drystone wall, both took off when we stopped. Near Bolton by Bowland we saw a Tawny Owl hiding in a tangle of hawthorn, and then as we neared the bridge over the Ribble, we saw a Sika Deer grazing quietly on the roadside bank before nonchalantly hopping over the fence back into the cover of trees.
Very muggy overcast day. Went up to Stocks Reservoir for a walk, followed by a drink and cake in the cafe there( The tiffin and the chocolate cake are both very good). The water level looked very low, though the fishermen said it often gets lower. On drive home in late afternoon, near Slaidburn, we saw a Little Owl with one youngster sat on a drystone wall, both took off when we stopped. Near Bolton by Bowland we saw a Tawny Owl hiding in a tangle of hawthorn, and then as we neared the bridge over the Ribble, we saw a Sika Deer grazing quietly on the roadside bank before nonchalantly hopping over the fence back into the cover of trees.
Elizabeth Mills 2010-06-09 10:25:00
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Monday 7/06/10
Up early to a damp, humid and overcast morning. Went for a walk over fields cut and cleared for silage over the weekend. Large flocks of Starlings, Jackdaws and Herring/Blackbacked Gulls feeding amongst the pale yellow stubble. The starling flocks had plenty of light brown juveniles and were all in constant noisy conversation, taking off and wheeling off to new areas of the field as one. The gulls had brown youngsters with them too, the adults keeping stern yellow eyes on me. Watched two young Jackdaws push their luck with a couple of adults. The rather large youngsters kept begging for food and eventually the adults lost their tempers and flew at them, pecking and flapping. The stunned youngsters huddled together looking very forlorn.
Lucky enough to see three hares. The first was very big and dark and didn't notice me, seemingly caught up in a race with a low flying swallow, got to about twelve feet from me, leapt up in mid-air, turned round and raced away to top corner of field. The second was just sat in a gateway in the lane and quietly slipped away behind the hedge. The third was further down the lane hopping along ahead of me. The lane is awash with Cow Parsley, dotted here and there with Red Campion, amongst the grass there are plenty of Lords and Ladies flowering though they've got soggy and battered by the recent heavy rains.
Daft as it sounds, I had been getting worried about the lack of slugs and snails in the garden. (Everythings a meal for something else.) Plenty around today, lots of White Lipped Snails with their pale yellow shells striped with brown amongst the grass and Cow Parsley, and slugs and snails grazing on wet tree trunks up to about 3ft.
Up early to a damp, humid and overcast morning. Went for a walk over fields cut and cleared for silage over the weekend. Large flocks of Starlings, Jackdaws and Herring/Blackbacked Gulls feeding amongst the pale yellow stubble. The starling flocks had plenty of light brown juveniles and were all in constant noisy conversation, taking off and wheeling off to new areas of the field as one. The gulls had brown youngsters with them too, the adults keeping stern yellow eyes on me. Watched two young Jackdaws push their luck with a couple of adults. The rather large youngsters kept begging for food and eventually the adults lost their tempers and flew at them, pecking and flapping. The stunned youngsters huddled together looking very forlorn.
Lucky enough to see three hares. The first was very big and dark and didn't notice me, seemingly caught up in a race with a low flying swallow, got to about twelve feet from me, leapt up in mid-air, turned round and raced away to top corner of field. The second was just sat in a gateway in the lane and quietly slipped away behind the hedge. The third was further down the lane hopping along ahead of me. The lane is awash with Cow Parsley, dotted here and there with Red Campion, amongst the grass there are plenty of Lords and Ladies flowering though they've got soggy and battered by the recent heavy rains.
Daft as it sounds, I had been getting worried about the lack of slugs and snails in the garden. (Everythings a meal for something else.) Plenty around today, lots of White Lipped Snails with their pale yellow shells striped with brown amongst the grass and Cow Parsley, and slugs and snails grazing on wet tree trunks up to about 3ft.
Newts and Pipistrelles
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Saturday 5/06/10
Saturday was very hot and sunny, and we went to visit an elderly friend and look round her garden. The heat was overpowering in the early afternoon and we all ended up sat by her little pond with a drink watching her goldfish with me trying to convince her that her newts were gorgeous. The newts were lounging at the water surface in little groups underneath lilly pads, little parasols to protect themselves from sunburn! Like us the heat had made them dozy and they were easy to catch and show to our friend. The females dull khaki and fat with eggs and the males speckled with black and gold spots. At the side of the pond we watched a male doing his waggle dance in front of a female. Our friend wasn't totally convinced of the beauty of newts especially when we noticed a newt hitching a ride on the back of her goldfish! I don't know how anyone could resist a creature with such an amiable smile! Her pond is only tiny and has one goldfish in it and is regularly topped up with a hose, all things not supposed to be good for newts - while we were there it was topped up again and the newts and the goldfish seemed to enjoy the water movement. We also noticed that when our friend fed the goldfish the newts seemed very interested in the fish food too!
That evening we visted the Moorhouses at Foxhill Barn B & B, and sat outside as darkness fell, the swooping swallows and swifts giving way to the tiny Pipistrelle bats hawking for moths and other insects attracted to the outside lights.
Saturday was very hot and sunny, and we went to visit an elderly friend and look round her garden. The heat was overpowering in the early afternoon and we all ended up sat by her little pond with a drink watching her goldfish with me trying to convince her that her newts were gorgeous. The newts were lounging at the water surface in little groups underneath lilly pads, little parasols to protect themselves from sunburn! Like us the heat had made them dozy and they were easy to catch and show to our friend. The females dull khaki and fat with eggs and the males speckled with black and gold spots. At the side of the pond we watched a male doing his waggle dance in front of a female. Our friend wasn't totally convinced of the beauty of newts especially when we noticed a newt hitching a ride on the back of her goldfish! I don't know how anyone could resist a creature with such an amiable smile! Her pond is only tiny and has one goldfish in it and is regularly topped up with a hose, all things not supposed to be good for newts - while we were there it was topped up again and the newts and the goldfish seemed to enjoy the water movement. We also noticed that when our friend fed the goldfish the newts seemed very interested in the fish food too!
That evening we visted the Moorhouses at Foxhill Barn B & B, and sat outside as darkness fell, the swooping swallows and swifts giving way to the tiny Pipistrelle bats hawking for moths and other insects attracted to the outside lights.
Little Owl
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Went to Coal Pit Lane last night about 10pm for our usual walk with Bramble. As we were driving down the lane, a small, grey animal ran across the road, looking for all the world like a small grey guinea pig. It then stopped on the verge and appeared to stand up on its hind legs to look at us. It was only as we got closer and stopped that we realised it was a Little Owl. It glared at us and then took off. I had never imagined Little owls as running around on the ground, even for worms I thought they would swoop and grab, absolutely delighted to see one like this. Also wonder if it is where stories of goblins and things come from, after a few pints, walking home with a flickering lantern on a lonely country road you could have imagined it was a Little Man not a Little Owl. Also watched Pipistrelles flying overhead and swooping quite close, lots of moths out, even Bramble tried to catch one.
Spring birdwatching walk in Brock Valley.
Friday, May 28th, 2010Sunny, breezy spring day so we decided to go to Brock Valley to see the Bluebells and Wild Garlic. The path follows the river amongst Oak, flowering Hawthorn and Lime trees that shade patches of Bluebells and swathes of Wild Garlic with the delicate flowers of Lesser and Greater Stitchwort gently nodding between them. As we walked alongside the river, sometimes the scent of the garlic was strongest and sometimes the delicate scent of the bluebells. Lots of Red Campion out too and the sturdy flower spikes of Butterbur look really ornamental now covered with white downy seed heads. Watched a young Thrush trying to balance on ivy stems waving in the breeze. Right next to the path, with dogs and people walking past, we spotted a Great Tit going into a hole in a tree about 3 ft up from the ground. As it entered we could hear all its chicks calling. Perhaps the people and dogs going past and their scent deters any would be predators, it didn't seem at all perturbed by us sitting and watching it as it came back with juicy caterpillars. We also saw three dippers, one of which was a youngster with mottled plumage, feeding itself. Watched two Grey Wagtails battling in mid-air and bobbing over the rocks in the river bed. Click photos to enlarge
Juvenile Thrush |
Grey Wagtail |
Great Tit going into nest... |
Young Dipper |
....and out again. |
Young Dipper |
Adult Dipper |
Elizabeth Mills 2010-05-25 11:08:00
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010Gorgeous sunny spring day, so decided to have a day out looking at some of our wildlife hotspots. Went to Birk Bank Woods near Caton, which are a mixture of upland habitats and oak woodlands. The golden yellow banks of Gorse contrasted wonderfully with the clear blue sky as we followed the path through the mounds of flowering Bilberry. Cool and quiet amongst the oak trees. Found a large empty nest hanging in a gorse. Then we drove past Calf Hill and Cragg Woods then past Caton Moor windfarm where we spoted a Meadow pipit with a beak full of food. Drove on to Holme wood by Barnacre Reservoir near Oakenclough. Mixed deciduous woodland in a dell, with a streamside footpath leading down to Grizedale reservoir. Oak just finished flowering, Rowan, Hawtorn and Horse Chestnuts flowering and providing shade for the carpets of Bluebells, speckled with the white flowers of Stitchwort. Looked magical in the dappled sunlight with Small White and Large White butterflies dancing amongst the flowers. Lots of Chiff Chaff calls and Barrie saw a Nuthatch slip into a tiny hole in a tree and come out with a faecal sac. Walked down to the reservoir, where Barrie photographed either a Chiffchaff or a Willow Warbler (it didn't utter a tweet) catching caterpillars. On our walk back through the woods, I heard a plop behind us and saw something swimming through the stream and scrabbling over rocks, black, wet and glistening and very, very fast, couldn't get a clear view and didn't want to get so close we scared it, hope it was a Water Vole.
Click Photos below to enlarge
Click Photos below to enlarge
Birk Bank |
Meadow Pipit |
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Holme Wood |
Small White |
Chiff chaff or Willow Warbler |
Elizabeth Mills 2010-05-23 16:06:00
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010Spring may have been late this year, but suddenly everything seems to be happening all at once. Blackthorn seems to have flowered really well this year and a few are still flowering here and there even as the Hawthorns start to flower. Red campion, Marsh Marigold, Garlic Mustard, Wood Sorrel, Violets, Bluebells, and Wild Strawberries are all flowering now and we still have Primroses out. Local woods smell richly of Garlic from the Wild Ramsons that will be flowering soon. Horse Chestnuts are starting to flower and the Apple Trees in the hedgerows are filling the air with their rich scent. It is hard to believe that a couple of weeks ago we were still having frosts and hardly any leaves were out. The Blackbird and Robin chicks have fledged, though I have only seen the Blackbirds feeding one chick in the open. The Robins seem to have done better with two. The Blackbird nest attracted the attentions of the local cats and on one occasion I saw a Sparrowhawk land in the conifer and head for the nest though I couldn't see if it took off with anything. The Swifts have made a welcome return over the past week and the House Martins are already feeding young. Twice during the day and in different areas we have seen Tawny Owls sat out in the open, one around 9 am and the other around 5 pm. Maybe they were after one of the numerous baby rabbits that seem to be everywhere at the moment. On our evening walks we have been delighted by the tiny Pipistrelle bats flitting amongst the trees above us. We are a bit worried that so far we have only seen a couple of hedgehogs, though sadly several corpses on the roads. BBC Wildlife magazine is encouraging people to go for an evening walk and the Forest of Bowland is a beautiful area to do so. Its lovely here at dusk as the sun sets behind Pendle Hill and the air fills with the scent of Apple Blossom, the bats come out and the calls of Curlews and Oystercatchers mingle with the bleating of the lambs.
Tawny Owl |
Ramsons (Wild Garlic) |
Langden Valley and Cross o’ Greets
Friday, April 30th, 2010
22/04/10
Warm, sunny day with a lovely light breeze. Went for a walk in Langden Valley, hoping to see some Redpolls, no luck though other people had spotted them. Saw Oystercatchers mating by river. Lots of Stoneflies out sunning themselves on rocks by river. As the path climbed, started to see a number of Green Hairstreak butterflies and the occasional Green Tiger Beetle darting amongst the heather. Then I saw what looked like the shadow of something else dance across our path and at first thought what on earth is that newt doing. Then I realised it was a dark coloured lizard. We saw at least 3 more of variable size and colour - one being almost golden with a stripe down its back. We then had an evening walk along the river in Dunsop Bridge and spotted Willow Warblers singing on the gorse and watched a Kestrel get mobbed by Crows.
Stonefly
Green Hairstreak butterfly
Green Tiger Beetle
25/04/10
Driving past Cross o' Greets, saw a male Hen Harrier hunting, surprised by the size of the pink tag on his wing, (no.18). There was a family of Greylag geese nearby and I wondered if the Hen Harrier would take one of their chicks. The six chicks were exactly the same greeny yellow as patches of moss and were only visible when their parents started to lead them away up the slope.
Hen Harrier
Greylag geese
Warm, sunny day with a lovely light breeze. Went for a walk in Langden Valley, hoping to see some Redpolls, no luck though other people had spotted them. Saw Oystercatchers mating by river. Lots of Stoneflies out sunning themselves on rocks by river. As the path climbed, started to see a number of Green Hairstreak butterflies and the occasional Green Tiger Beetle darting amongst the heather. Then I saw what looked like the shadow of something else dance across our path and at first thought what on earth is that newt doing. Then I realised it was a dark coloured lizard. We saw at least 3 more of variable size and colour - one being almost golden with a stripe down its back. We then had an evening walk along the river in Dunsop Bridge and spotted Willow Warblers singing on the gorse and watched a Kestrel get mobbed by Crows.
Stonefly
Green Hairstreak butterfly
Green Tiger Beetle
25/04/10
Driving past Cross o' Greets, saw a male Hen Harrier hunting, surprised by the size of the pink tag on his wing, (no.18). There was a family of Greylag geese nearby and I wondered if the Hen Harrier would take one of their chicks. The six chicks were exactly the same greeny yellow as patches of moss and were only visible when their parents started to lead them away up the slope.
Hen Harrier
Greylag geese
Elizabeth Mills 2010-04-09 11:48:00
Friday, April 9th, 2010
7/04/10
We had heard reports that an Osprey had been seen up at Stocks Reservoir over the bank holiday weekend so we thought we 'd go up and see if it was still there. Sadly we were out of luck but a sighting of a male Hen Harrier flying over the shallows near the bird hide more than made up for this. We also saw several pairs of Canada Geese and watched the Cormorants sat on driftwood drying their wings in the sun. We went round to the cafe up at the fishery and were amazed at the number of toads crawling about. We walked down to the shore line and saw several "balls" of toads made up of about half a dozen individuals in the shallows and there were plenty of other toads heading for the water or swimming about. I have never seen so many toads in my life, it was an incredible sight although it did make me paranoid about where I was stepping! I did try to move one and it gave a very indignant squeak. We could also hear them croaking all around in the shallows. Wood anemones and Primroses are flowering now and the Hawthorn leaves are starting to unfurl.
