First Butterfly

The day started wet but the forecast was to clear up by midday so we decided to set off for Monk Wood Nature Reserve in deepest Worcestershire. As forecast, the skies cleared before we arrived and by the time we were getting our boots on the sun was shining and it was a very pleasant day.

Still not a lot of wildlife about although we did flush a pair of Foxes who beat a hasty retreat through the trees.

However we did encounter our first butterfly of the season, this rather fine looking specimen of a Comma. It was in very good nick when you consider that it has spent the winter hibernating probably in a log pile in the reserve.

Comma - Polygonia c-album

Signs of Spring

I went for a  walk in Hanbury Woods, Worcestershire today and the first signs of spring are now evident. It was a bright sunny day but quite windy so little sign of insect life as yet apart from a few  ladybirds and the odd bumble bee which have been nudged into activity by the recent temperature rise. We are probably 3 or 4 weeks away from an explosion in insect activity and very much dependent on the weather.

Snowdrops

Mallards

Frogs

Sharing the pond with the Mallards were a whole bunch of Frogs which were in the shallow edges of the pond with a load of fresh frog spawn. Some of those frogs looked very pleased with themselves.