13th March

The sun had genuine warmth today and it showed with honey bees buzzing around and my first butterfly of the year, a Small Tortoiseshell in the garden.

There was also a single Siskin in the garden this morning. This terrible picture was the best I could manage but it was very misty (and I confess was taken from bed!). 

This pushes the year-list up to 79 species, a little ahead of last year.

I think we are lucky in Ainderby that we have a rookery right in the heart of the village.

Some people (inexplicably to me) dislike Rooks but if you take time to watch them they are the most intelligent, sociable and fascinating species. The village birds are currently in full nest-building mode. As the number and size of nests grow then suitable twigs get in shorter supply so you see birds flying in from further and further distances with sticks.

But you also see increases in noisy disputes over the remaining ‘local’ twigs and even surreptitious stealing of choice sticks from neighbours nests (Eastenders has nothing on a rookery!)