Bonza!

108 up! A much hoped-for but hardly expected Merlin flashed through the back of the garden on Sunday - lightning fast and tiny, and only for Simon, alas! But at least we know there's one around - we'll need to keep looking....

Bird list advances

When you've already seen 105 species in/over/from your garden, new additions get pretty hard to come by, but this week, we've had not one but two new ones - both migrant passerines: Spotted Flycatcher and Whitethroat. Also a Tree Pipit flew over to the west about ten days ago.

On another point, "Rameses" the wholly leucistic Egyptian Goose remains safe and well on the fields along Snails Lane - hasn't been picked off by a Fox yet!

Longer still between posts! Eft-swounds....

Yesterday we added a top new species, one which we really hoped for one day, but surely not this soon in the history of the pond? But we weren't totally surprised, as a suspected eft sighting last autumn turned today into a confirmation - a Newt in the pond! Whether it's a Smooth or a Palmate, we're not yet sure.....but no doubt we'll see more if him/her/them in the weeks ahead. Spring is definitely in the air!