Knocking on the door of spring

The recent trend for Saturday's is for it to be grey and rather cold. Things are improving as today was grey, with occasional bright spells and mild, albeit when sheltered from the breeze.

Unfortunately, unlike other parts of Yorkshire, we didn't manage to get a first summer migrant at Tophill Low NR, but one or two other nice bits and pieces were on offer.

First stop for me was North Marsh to catch up with Tony McLean. Couple of Little Grebes fishing in front of an otherwise quiet hide allowed for a couple of images.





A good sized Grass Snake was on offer, taking to the water for a tour of an island.



A Buzzard spent a while bloggin around the area and some displaying Sparrowhawks put on a nice display to each other.

No doubt Tony managed some more cracking photos! Click here for some nice piccies.

At least one of the Smew remains on WNR and Pochards seem to know what time of the year it is! Plenty of them displaying to admiring females.



Highlight on WNR were the Roe Deer. This one sticking around long enough for a photo.



The best of the rest involved a few Woodcock and Doug Fairweather knocked off our opening butterfly of the year - a Peacock. The moth traps held a Lead-coloured Drab. Not the most inspiring but the second site record I believe.