Nesting Pheasant

A pheasant has chosen our front driveway to lay her clutch of eggs (eight so far). The driveway was plain chippings until I built a couple of raised beds from ex rail sleepers. Planted with lavender along the front edge, one of these planters is now home to the pheasant. I have yet to see her enter the nest so am not sure of the direction of approach but she is only a few yards from the lane and even less distant from the house.

Wild Boar sighting

For the first time ever, today I saw a wild boar in the wild. Having seen their tracks and the shoveling of earth, I knew they were in the area but never expected to see one in broad daylight. My dog had been sniffing around a bramble patch at the edge of the field and we had moved on about twenty yards. Then suddenly, from behind us a huge boar bolted and sped across the field with my dog in hot pursuit. Fortunately, the dog is accustomed to chasing deer for a short distance and then backing off as he did with the boar.

First Swallows

Saw five swallows on the telephone wires this morning. It was a cold misty morning and so not the best of welcomes for these birds.
The fieldfares and redwings have now departed and the hedgerows are filling with blackcaps. Greenfinches are displaying their territorial flights, whilst the linnets continue to flock. I saw a starling carrying food to nestlings this morning.

Wheatear

A passing migrant, the wheatear that was in the hedgerow adjoining the wheat fields would have been feeding up before heading north or west to its moorland haunts. It was not left in peace however, as, every time it took to the air, a cock yellow hammer harassed it. I wonder if that was due to the wheatear's passing resemblance to a shrike which the bunting would perceive as a threat.

Nearby a pair of kestrels were mating on the electrical cables. A hen blackbird was seen carrying worms to its young. Spring is here, even though the weather remains cold and wet.