A walk around Badby Woods on a sunny morning in the middle of March reveals a carpet of bluebell plants but, not surprisingly, no flowers yet. Some spring flowers are in evidence though. A few lesser celandines and wood anemones and a single wood sorrel flower just opening up. Dog’s mercury, on the other hand, has been out since January.
Bird calls and song are in evidence from green and great-spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, marsh tit and jay amongst others but no sounds of summer visitors although I heard a chiffchaff singing in the village before the end of February.
During the unseasonal summer-like temperatures in February, brimstone and small tortoiseshell butterflies were on the wing but there’s been no sign of them since the weather cooled down again.
RP
