If only this was Lincolnshire but this household is still firmly of the opinion there are no breeding Goshawks in Lincolnshire so we left the county for the annual dose of Goshawks and at a conservative estimate of 8-10 birds there was plenty of activity to see throughout the day and when the Goshawks were quiet Crossbills took over.
Probably Britain’s best known amphibian, these images were taken by my Father in his small garden pond - we have counted nine in total and spawning has begun so the pond will soon be crammed full so if anyone needs some frog spawn you know where to come!
This sad sight awaited us in Scawby Park at the weekend - we had gone looking for Hawfinches, which we didn’t see and came across this Buzzard in the woods - no obvious cause of death.
Scawby Park also has its fair share of Snowdrops at the moment and eight Goosanders were on the main fishing lake.
Back in Normanby Park the Anemome Blanda are just starting to appear and Primroses are in full flower - no sign of any Nuthatches or Woodpeckers in the wood but it is difficult to hear anything over chain saws - when will North Lincs council stop chopping everything down. An unexpected sight was of a Noctule Bat hunting over the fishing lake - very unusual to see Bats flying in the day time - must be the unseasonably warm sun that brought it out.
..the Winter Aconites are now in full bloom in Normanby Park but just as exciting was the sighting this morning of 4 Common Newts in our new pond - I have been anxiously awaiting their spring arrival and last night seems to have been the night - on the way back from Louth late last night Wayne says the road was littered with Frogs/Toads on the move. Also in the garden this morning was a Goldcrest and I’m on particular guard for Mallards - if anyone has any legal ways of stopping them wrecking our pond please advise as they too will soon be descending on us for their spring exploits!
Amazingly these birds are on the British List so with Wayne and Neal’s Lincolnshire list beckoning we headed east to Grimsby! yes Grimsby - it has been suggested that the paler female with half a tail has suffered from her long migratory return from the tropics!
Yes it’s that time of year again and the Snowdrops are looking particularly good this year but I think I say that every year! Also in the park singing and calling this morning were 2 pairs Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Redpoll, several Goldcrest and Treecreepers and a pair of Kestrel and Common Buzzard causing havoc over the wood.
Snowdrops with Normanby Hall in the background.
