Our rare butterfly, the heath fritillary, has broken all records by appearing on 12 May, my earliest ever sighting by ten days.  This is about five weeks earlier than was usual in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and represents an amazing response to the warm spring this year.  It's too soon to know when the peak is going to be, but it's bound to be markedly earlier than last year, when it was around 29th June.  So, if you're visiting the wood in the coming weeks, look out for this lovely orange and black butterfly in sunny areas, especially if the caterpillars' foodplant, cow-wheat, is growing nearby.

Heard the fantastic, fluty song of a golden oriole in the wood this morning.  I wasn't able to see this beautiful bird, but can only hope it will stay around for a while.

Hazel catkins have been out for some weeks already, but one of the key indicators of spring to look out for each year is the re-emergence of wood ants.  They spend the winter underground, but on the first day that warm sunshine strikes their domed nests, up they come.  This year I saw the first ones on 8th February, a small cluster of black bodies on top of the nest, basking in the warmth.

Winter tends to be pretty quiet for birds at Blean, but there are quite a few woodcock sheltering in the wood at the moment.  They feed mainly by night, but may be flushed from the ground during the day.