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.

Chiffchaff

Heard a chiffchaff singing yesterday which probably means that the blackcap is also a spring migrant!

Blackcap

A cock blackcap has been around the garden for the last two days. It has even been taking sunflower kernels from the feeders, which is not a behaviour I expected to observe. Today I heard it singing which then poses the question: Is this a winter visitor from farther north or is it an early spring migrant?

Fogspawn in the fish pond and newtlets in the wildlife pond!

More Snow

A second arctic blast hit the area last week and once again many of the birds disappeared from the scene. This time it took several days of warm weather before the skylarks, linnets and yellow hammers returned. Still a mystery as to where they go during the inclement weather.
There is a large flock of redwings roosting in nearby woods (tends to vary as to which they select). In the morning you can hear their mass singing which caused quite some consternation when first heard.

Primroses have sprung up everywhere and violets are appearing on sunny embankments.

Breeding Birds

Whilst the skylarks are clearly now establishing their breeding territories along with the chaffinches and the song thrushes, the only birds I have seen actively nest building are the magpies, which have been active in their prolonged nest building exercise for some weeks, and today I also saw a hen blackbird collecting materials. No doubt, further afield, there will be rooks and herons on nests, but these are the only birds seen actively nest building in this area.