Passed with flying colours!

In complete contrast to my previous visit to the Gaywood Valley, spring has truly sprung and warm weather has settled across the whole country. I was finally able to leave my gloves at home and spend an enthralling day looking at the wildlife.

There are more chiffchaffs around now and are actually calling. This is one of the best sounds of spring for me - a demonstration that the cold days of winter are passing, with the promise of the warmer days to come. A superb male yellowhammer was present, standing out like a sore thumb in the bare branches of a hawthorn. I didn't hear it singing today, but did hear it a few days ago in a different location.

When I entered the valley itself, I was greeted by a pair of roe deer bounding through the reeds ahead of me, a pair of hares playing kiss-chase very slowly around a field to the right, and a pair of muntac deer grazing to the left. Spring has most definitely sprung!

There was also plenty of insect action with both small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies seen flying around and also red-tailed and buff-tailed bumblebee queens foraging for suitable nesting sites.

I went and had a look at the long-tailed tit nest that I found on my last visit and found it fully finished and fully lined. It was too difficult to see if anything was inside and I saw no sign of the pair that built it. But as I was looking, I heard a commotion behind me and turned around to see two kingfishers fighting. I don't know if you have ever seen this, but they fight the same way they fly - very, very fast!

There was wildlife everywhere I looked, with birds, insects, mammals, flowers and trees all showing signs that spring has finally sprung in West Norfolk. In my last blog I said that spring should try harder. Well it has done just that and surpassed my expectations with flying colours. I had intended to spend a couple of hours down the valley, but ended up spending a wholly enjoyable 4 and a half hours instead!