After an awful day of very strong winds and rain it has was nice to get up to a better morning on Sunday 17th March, although it was a little breezy and there were heavy showers about, it seemed quite pleasant! I was expecting a soaking as it was really black over the Blackmore Vale but we only got the edge of the rain with a lovely full rainbow, which unfortunately I couldn’t photograph as I had a long focal length lens on the camera.

I walked up a very muddy Ridgeway lane coming back round by Dove Cote farm, I couldn’t resist a photo of the Peacock now with all his new tail feathers, looking very handsome.

As I made my way back to the village I heard a Swan flying over I just managed to see him before he disappeared.

I was looking at the Blackthorn and all the buds covering the hedgerows, they are going to look beautiful shortly when they come out. I spotted some movement in the hedgerow and there were two Bullfinchs feeding off the buds, the male looking really handsome in his breeding plumage. I saw another pair when I got back to the village feeding in a back garden.

The leaves on many trees are coming out now, Elder, Hawthorn in the hedgerows, Weeping Willows are turning green and the Pussy Willow flowers are coming out to name a few, I think I spotted an Ash tree flowering. The Horse Chestnut is one of the first trees out and I noticed the leaves coming out in Manor field with the flower buds just inside the leaves. All we need now is some warmer days!