Where is this sun coming from, I asked myself, non verbally, deep within my mind thing, as I got up this morning and tried to think of a constructive way to spend the day.
So I mounted my ailing bicycle, and headed out into what was still quite a chilly morning, and hoping I wasn't going to freeze when I got there. Couldn't have been more wrong. Glorious day. But the cycle path rather muddy and tacky though.
Armed with my new 10x50s, first thing I spotted was a Reed Bunting, the black capped and bearded male sat proudly in a small tree, the dowdier female a mite more shy in a bush. This was by the Dragonfly lake, which was well populated with Tufted Ducks.
More pairs of Reed Buntings were to be found in the rushes next to the next couple of small lakes, as a squadron of 4 swans passed overhead like Lancaster Bombers. More swans were to be found on the reed bed, radically different from my last visit, surrounded by honking and screeching Greylag and Canada Geese. One Greylag in particular was super comical, fighting off all comers, neck outstretched and honking in a totally ridiculous way.
I noticed that the RSPB bods had put up feeders by the hide, and although they were empty all manner of songbirds were eating the fall out from the floor. The binoculars revealed a flock of Tree Sparrows, unbelievably a new species for me, that's how crap I am, chestnut heads dipping up and down as they ate. As time progressed they were joined by Blue and Great Tits.
Eventually, in one binocular field of view under the feeders, I had Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers, Greenfinches - first I've seen for ages - Tree Sparrows and Blue and Great Tits. A star cluster! Only with birds.
And the day was not done with me yet. As I cycled home contending with a broken bike seat, I realised I wasn't the only one enjoying the sun. Brimstone butterflies were out for a sunbathe too. To say that I hardly saw any the whole of last year, and then today to see a fair few of them fluttering about in early march was rather surprising.
But then, what do I know. A whole lot of nothing, that's what!
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