The nice weather over the weekend brought out the visitors, but it also brought out the wildlife. Numerous kites and buzzards were flying high, enjoying the thermals. You can also tell it is nesting time as the kites are swooping down into the sheep field next to us to snatch up bits of wool. They will then use thse to line their nests to make them soft to sit in.
Other birds of interest have been the first singing blackcaps and willow warblers of the year. A firecrest was seen on the path up to the hide on Sunday and ravens were overhead on Saturday. Also on Saturday was a bit of an oddity for us, a mallard! Most reserves would consider this to be rather common, but being in the middle of a wood it makes a bit of a change for us. It landed on the hide pool and splashed around for a couple of hours before disappearing again.
The warm sunny weather also brought out the insects, with the hide full of lacewings and ladybirds emerging from their hibernation over the winter. Butterflies were all over the place, with peacocks and brimstones being the most visible. And just in time for these nectar feeders, the first woodland flowers are starting to pop up, with wood anenomes lining the paths.