1990 January to April
January 18th
Cloudy patches of blue sky and
mild. Last night there were gale force winds and it was quite
cold. Snow is forecast. The Hazels at the park and at Belmont
have long catkins, while Gorse bushes here and there are covered
with yellow flowers. The Ivy over the wall along Darwen Road has
green berries on it, just starting to turn black.
Two days
ago I was very surprised to see a Pied Wagtail in Bromley Cross
and yesterday I saw a female Bullfinch down the Clough. David is
always saying he has seen a White Crow, and walking to the
Holmes’s we definitely saw a Crow with white wings. He’s not as
daft as he looks. The mill pond at Eagley is providing a
wonderful refuge for the Reedmace, as it has completely covered
the pond and is rare elsewhere.
March 7th
Saw many Great and Blue Tits flying around the valley with
Blackbirds, and a pair of Wrens looking for a safe place for
their nest. Magpies are beginning to build a nest, and lots of
Crows can be seen ready for an easy meal of another bird’s young
or chicks. I saw a pair of Bullfinches, and to my delight a pair
of Long-tailed Tits which I have only seen a couple of times
before. On the 5th we saw a splendid Cock Pheasant in
our Clough being chased by an enormous Ginger Tom. The cat
accelerated into a gallop, more favouring a Cheetah than a small
domestic animal.
My
Daffodils are starting to flower, with buds on my Primrose. The
Hawthorn’s are bearing their first fresh green leaves; and the
Hazel and Alders have their catkins on. Yesterday I found a
young lime-green caterpillar stranded on the road, so I saved
it.
Holly
still has its berries on down the Clough, but there is a Spring
smell in the air. Saw Lapwings and Curlews at Townleys. I found
a dead Brambling which I’ve never seen before. It was a male
with beautiful feathers. I put it in the greenhouse and Kitty
ate it.
March 12th
A lovely day with bright
sunshine, and so warm that people were wearing T-shirts. A week
ago I saw a Ladybird on the path and thought how early it was to
see one. Today I counted 27 on the Conifers outside. There were
all over. At Belmont on Sunday we saw loads of Frogs hopping
around a drained fish pond. They were all adults, probably
getting ready to mate and to lay eggs.
Mosses
have fruiting capsules on, and Larches have red flowers on among
tiny tufts of needles. Up near the Holmes’s we saw a young Grey
Squirrel. It was beautiful and very agile. Coltsfoot, Daisies
and Butterbur are all flowering, besides Lesser Celandines near
the cricket field.
March 16th
Lovely sunny day with blue sky
and clouds. The Crows and Magpies are busy making nests. The
Mountain Ash has leaves bursting through, while the Hawthorn is
already in leaf in sheltered parts.
I have
seen several Toads just lately, one I had to rescue from the
road. The mid day sun was very hot so I went to check that the
toad was not exposed. It had hidden itself in the grass and I
poured a circle of water around it so it wouldn’t dehydrate.
Tonight under cover of darkness it will probably make its way
elsewhere.
March 17th
Very warm sunny day and blue
hazy sky. On the way up to Galesbrook I was delighted to see a
colourful pair of Coal Tits. The Pussy Willow is covered in
white cotton-wool catkins with yellow pollen on them. Hazels
have long “wriggly chain” catkins, and in places Elder trees are
now covered in leaves.
I
rescued a large Toad on the road which was carrying a smaller
one on its back. Were they a courting couple I wonder? Several
other Toads lay dead in the road. I hate seeing such carnage of
wild animals. There were two Herons in the meadow and the
domestic Geese were fighting to establish a “pecking” order.
To my
surprise I saw a Blackbird with a white chin flying through our
valley. It was of course a rare and elusive Ring Ouzel. I was
delighted to see one never having taken note of one before.
Several times I have thought I heard a Cuckoo, and David heard
one in early March.
March 18th
A beautiful warm sunny Sunday
with a fresh wind caressing the earth. We went through the Last
Drop to Jumbles via Horrobin – where Hob Goblins are supposed to
live. Willows have tiny green slivers of leaves on, while
Cherries are covered in pink blossom and Blackthorns are bearing
pretty white flowers. I saw one dark red Butterfly, and two
Small Tortoiseshells, one on our garden. The signs are all for a
lovely hot Summer.
We saw
three Kestrels flying over Jumbles, two pairs of plump
Woodpigeon, two Rabbits scurrying through the rushes, and a pair
of Coot on the reservoir. There were also several Mallard,
Domestic Geese very much like a Greylag, and two pairs of Canada
Geese.
Butterbur is covering shady banks with pink flower heads while
Coltsfoot and Lesser Celandine are like stars of sunshine
between the grasses. Mouse-ear and Chickweed are flowering, and
we were delighted to see a small Wren creeping through the
undergrowth.
There
have been several grass fires on the moors today as the ground
is timber dry. David will probably be fire fighting this week.
March 31st
A beautiful warm Spring day
with a cloudless blue sky and a lovely “sniff” in the air. My
Daffodils, Primulas, Primrose and Bob Primula are all flowering,
besides the golden “sun dials” of the Dandelions. At the farm,
Dandelions don’t come out until June. David’s Alders have
started to sprout leaves while the Apple Tree is just breaking
forth from the bud.
The
Elders and Mountain Ash have their first set of leaves on, with
the “pin prick” blossoms that have not yet developed. Many
Crows, Rooks and Magpie can be seen flying around the area. It’s
amazing there are any song-birds left with these all these
predators about.
To my
amazement we found a clump of Bluebells in full bloom down the
Clough near the mill. Bluebells out in March! Amazing. I also
saw another blue thing but not half as nice: a fat ugly
Bluebottle. Early for them too, while Midges and Crane-like
Flies and Mosquitoes are all over the place.
I saw a
pair of Ladybirds mating by some Celandines and it tugged at my
heart strings. Near the Holmes’s we saw a Weasel with its black
tipped tail. It looked like a ginger rat. There were Mallard
ducks, Crows, Pheasant and a Moorhen, all enjoying the weather
beside a pair of plump Woodpigeons. David said “Where’s me gun?”