Saturday, March 10, 2012
Combe
As we drove west, the dreary grey clouds gradually broke up and we set off from the car park towards the gibbet in glorious sunshine. A stonechat fly-catching near the road was a good beginning.
The high arable fields were packed with vocal skylarks and several buzzards were circling. The bare oak trees in Combe Wood took on a snaky spookiness. There were a few patches of snowdrops, past their best, and a Brimstone Butterfly was on the wing.
A raven called from somewhere beyond the trees and then came out into the open and gave us a flying display.
There were several marsh tits. This one is ringed: red on one leg, blue and possibly a pale ring on the other. I s'pose it means something to somebody, but do they really need so many rings?
We heard willow tits in two places. This was the best I could do by way of a photo; I flatter myself that it does at least show the pale wing panels.
Nearby was this goldcrest which I snapped by chance without seeing it!
We were exhausted when we got back to the car, but it had been a great walk on the first really warm day of the year.// posted by Christine @ 10:41 AM 
