OneGuyFromBarlick

We have seen a fox on more than one occasion when out walking around Brogden, Cow Pasture and Hollins. Looks like a dog fox and he is in very good condition.

I remember when the cows were culled at Kayfield foxes appeared during the day in the fields. Most curious sighting was a deer trotting up the side of the Co-op one early morning a few years ago.

I was very surprised to hear a curlew this morning on our walk round the fields. I thought I was mistaken but there it was flying overhead and we saw a group of three a bit later on. It's usually mid February when they arrive here, I wonder if the wind brought them from the coast or if they have overwintered somewhere locally?

Hardy birds Wendy, I always wonder how the birds survive our winters..... There will be bird song in Valley Gardens this morning.......

I've just seen a white stoat running up the wall side, hopping in and out of holes in the wall and standing out like a sore thumb. I've never seen one in a white coat before, do they have any predators?

It will have it's Winter coat on Wendy they are fairly well up the food chain but are preyed upon by foxes, dogs and larger snakes of which we don't have any here in the UK. I would think foxes will be their main predator.

Do they always go white in winter in this area? With the grass dying back you can see masses of tiny holes and tunnels around the field edges so I imagine there will be plenty food easily available. The cats are bringing a constant supply of murdered voles home!

I don't think they all change coats Wendy depends on habitat.

Stoats

I've never seen a white stoat Wendy. If you were close enough to see the eyes you would know if they were red that you'd seen an albino.

No swallows as yet. They arrived on 4th April last year. They have been coming earlier and earlier the last few years, looks as though they've gone back to normal now, middle / late April.

Our neighbours reported seeing one passing by last week, but nothing here yet.

I know its not much to shout about but I saw my first Peacock butterfly of the year yesterday. Our garden at 750 ft elevation is generally weeks behind in terms of pollen and butterfly treats. Nice to have a couple of days of warm sunshine though.

Lovely to hear the first signs of the season changing. One of the things I noted when I was tramming all over the country from the south to the extreme North of Scotland was that here on the Pennines we are further behind than almost any other part of the Isles. As far as I could see the high ground between Bacup and Littleborough and up on Deerplay on the Burnley road were the last to warm up. The old farmers used to say that the second week in June was the start of the good weather round here and they were not far out!

Swallows, well, A swallow when I went out to do up this morning, the rest will follow. 13 days later than last year.

They might get blown in on these (supposedly) warm southerly winds!

They're have used their heads, waited until the weather warmed up and kicked the insects off. The birds in Valley gardens are certainly more active this week. They'll be singing their hearts out this morning! Very mild night, bed socks and nightshirt can be put away now I think.
I always marvel how the birds survive the cold nights.......

Two this morning, there will soon be loads trying to knock my head off buzzing in and out of the stables.

Still no sign here. We had a number of swallows in the barn last year but I'm not certain that any of them raised a brood.

We had lots of broods raised, it got a bit hair raising in the stable doorways.

I suspect we shall have an influx later this week.

2 swallows spotted flying around today, and the cuckoo was calling down in Kelbrook woods.

Good! And we are heading into a spell of warm weather so the insect population should rise.

Although we've moved into a busy town and are now only a mile from the centre of Taunton there was a little wood mouse (Apodemus sylvatica) running about our patio this morning. There was no chance of photographing the busy little creature but this photo from the web shows its typical stance.

I miss hearing the cuckoo.

Today's task was to clear out the large greenhouse of all the wood that had been laid out for drying and put it into the wood shed. Work came to a standstill as soon as I opened the wood shed door. Sat on top of the pile was a Wren's nest with four eggs in it. The small greenhouse is now full of wood.