Spring in full swing

Once again it has been a long time since I posted and springtime is in full swing. We have been very busy working on the house and garden. The garden developments are very exciting - a new patio area by the pond and lots of new plantings. In addition, we have built an archway over a new pathway which will become a significant feature of the back garden.

The picture shows the new bridge that was built over the pond last year. I will post more photos of the new developments when the plants are more established.

Getting back to the wildlife - a sad story for Mr & Mrs Mallard. She laid 14 eggs in the bole of a tree by the pond. Unfortunately, the nest was not very good and all the eggs fell out! I guess one of the magpies had a real feast. Such a pity because it would have been lovely to have 14 ducklings in the pond. The couple are still together by the pond so maybe they will try again?




The bluebells have been lovely this year. They were very early and are now fading back already. They are such a spectacle it is sad to see them disappear so quickly.



The butterflies have been doing well this year, probably because we had a very dry spell in early April. I have seen orange tips, brimstone, peacocks, commas and lots of whites. The brimstone in the photo has really great camouflage against the primroses.



There is a baby muntjac at the moment sticking closely to its mother, but I have yet to see any roe deer fawns this year. They should be born around this time and I have no doubt we will catch a glimpse soon.

The other birds are having more success than the mallard ducks. There is a pair of long-tailed tits nesting in the berberis on the front lawn and a pair of great tits busily feeding their brood in the nesting box on the pergola. Lots of new life. I love springtime!