The first was with a goldcrest, happy to approach me to less than a metre in a little ornamental bush in South Parade Park. These wonderful little birds are the most fearless of wild songbirds, I've had one feeding within 50 centimetres of my less than calming head before.
They are hard enough to photograph as it is, flitting like hummingbirds as they do - sometimes the resemblance is really striking as they will indeed hover momentarily - and me armed only with my mobile phone. But I did manage to get one passable shot.
Yesterday, walking down the cycle path of murder and violence - a third arrest happened today, for attempted murder - I noticed that the temporary pond next to the route had a population of smooth newts back in situ. Last year they spawned, but I thought the pond had dried up before they could develop.
It seems the newts have decided to try again. Good luck to them. A young family were pointing at them; I was glad to tell them what they were looking at.
Si
All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.04.18
