Just realised - now I'm going to start moaning about the sad lack of Butterflies, check out the photos on 12th March 2012.

At Last

Funny couple of weeks at the reserve, nothing new seemed to be happening with all the cold weather. Frogspawn appeared in the  pond across the road on 3rd April but despite checking daily, nothing in the reserve ponds. Badgers seemed grateful for some extra food, peanuts and grapes and took all the hay for bedding, unless the deer ate it! Some kids have been in chucking logs in to the brook to make a bridge, my first feelings were of anger but then I remembered I'd have loved doing something like that as a kid, better than playing the X Box! While I was down by the brook I also spotted a beautiful Badger print.
Things began to warm up on the 6th April when we saw 23 different species of birds in and around the reserve including Long-tailed Tits with nesting material and a pair of Great Tits using one of the boxes.
Finally on 14th LOTS of frogspawn has appeared in exactly the same place as last year!
Photos are: Badger print
Otter spraint and.......
Frogspawn!

The snow has seriously curbed all badger activity! I'm guessing they sensibly stay underground. I noticed this evening that they have taken all of the hay into the sett.
The reserve still looks wonderful in the sunshine with the last of the Snowdrops, the Daffodils and Primroses and newly emerging Butterbur. I've just downloaded the BirdTrack app from the BTO and I'm keen to get lots of sightings at the reserve.

Wow! Lots of Badger activity, a lot of digging has been taking place and by the look of the latrines there is no shortage of food. More Otter like prints, this time on the reserve side of Badger bridge.
After careful scrutiny of the prints, we think they are too small for an Otter as they are between 2cm and 4cm long, as both sets were close to the river we think that they could be Water Vole.

Beautiful evening at the reserve. Still no frogspawn but I did see perfect otter prints at the bottom of the new steps (4) and also new otter spraint under bridge, took photos in low light and will add later. Pete saw a Green Woodpecker on the tree with birdbox 11 on it and also the Woodcock emerging from under the Yew tree in the corner, seems as though the little Muntjac stag has moved out and the Woodcock has moved in! Let's hope he keeps away from the guns. Lots of Badger latrines at the far edge of the reserve, at least 6, I'm guessing they are to mark their boundary?

Down at the reserve again tonight searching for the first frogspawn. We're already 3 days later than last year. All we saw on the ponds was....ICE!!! Walking around the reserve we disturbed a hawk who had recently killed a pigeon, didn't get to see the hawk close up, but our best guess is a Sparrowhawk. Saw a Heron flying over, possibly landed in the lake.
Lots of badger activity, will return to Badger watching closer to the full moon!

Nature Force work party 7th February 2013

Thanks for all your work