Spring flowers in Devon lane

There is a lane I drive through to get to work every day and keep seeing all the spring colours, so the other bank holiday when it was sunny I walked up there just to see all the spring flowers, there were so many different flowers I only got a few on my camera.

Bluebells with bee coming in.

Single Bluebell

Bracken uncurling.

A large number of Spring Ferns

Single young fern.

The ferns and brackens look like they are from prehistoric times, which I think they are and they form the most fascinating shapes when they uncurl in spring.

Honesty

Primroses.

Single Primrose.

Pink Primroses

I have been driving past these Pink Primroses for several days now and wondered if they were the wild ones as they were so bright, but looking at then now I did not realise they got brighter the longer the flowers had been out.

Red Campion

Stitchwort

Sweet Violet

Violet.

Wood Anemones

Again driving home suddenly saw all the Gulls following the plough and found a place to pull over and get some shots while there the dairy cows came out, looked as if just after milking.

Gulls following the plough

The Seagull have been following the plough for centuries, the farming changes over the years but the gull and crows still forage for the same thing the worms and grubs that have been dug up.

Some Gulls never see the sea as long as there are lakes or rivers around they can survive with scavenging as well, but this is when it becomes a problem.

cows wondering why their field is being ploughed

These dairy cows look a bit surprised that their field is being dug up and being inquisitive they go to investigate.

(There is an electric fence between them.)

These two look to be having a good gossip.

These two look as if one is saying to the other “I wonder what is going on over there lets go and have a look.”

Young and Inquisitive

The other weekend driving back from shopping it was a nice afternoon and I had my camera with me, and wondered if I see any thing interesting.


Then I saw these Bullocks so parked up got the camera out and waited to see what they were up to.

Can I reach this

Once they realized I wasn’t a threat they went back to what they were going, which was reaching up to the branches and using their tongues to curl around and get the new shoots. Unfortunately I didn’t quite get the shoot with the tongue out.

Have I got it or not?

A Hedgehog feeding in our garden from last year

I’m very pleased to say the hedgehogs are back. After seeing them around all last summer, in and out of the garden each night snuffling about and grunting at each other.

We had four different ones, one being a large male my husband did not realize they got so big until one night he heard a lot of noise going on outside and went to investigate only to find two hedgehogs one a lot larger than the other, the male must have come around for a mate.

We saw a couple of young ones quite late in the year; I do hope they survived the winter.

With all the flooding we had during the winter I was getting worried they that might have been flooded out during hibernation, but they are back again. So I’m back feeding them every night with hedgehog food I get from our local garden center, I don’t use cat food partly because I know our cats will eat it but they don’t seem to eat the hedgehog food.

I will try and get some more pictures this year.

A Starling feeding on fat balls

It’s nice to see the starlings back, as a child can remember seeking them in flocks flying around and thinking they look like Sholes of fish, which have not seen lately.

One of the many rooks we get in the garden and they do look funny on the feed trying to eat the fat balls or rather destroy them. With them and the squirrels it’s a wonder the bird feeder is still standing, the neighbors get very cross with them but I find them quite fascinating and amusing .

A Jenny Wren

The Wren. 

I love to hear them, such a loud song for such a little bird.

4 of the Robins in our garden this winter

Some of the different robins in our garden over the winter.

There has been at least about 4 or 5 around this winter all getting very territorial with each other.

One looks as if he has ears ?

I think we have a pair of Nuthatch as I have seen two coming and going taking the sunflower seeds one at a time up into the tree eating it then coming back for an other.

This Nuthatch is keeping the blue tit away until he has his sunflower seed.

The Greenfinches seem to like the black sunflower seed and they have also had ago at the nuts, were as the other finches like the smaller seeds. 

There has been a lot of activity with them at the moment as it’s coming into mating season.

Male and Female Greenfinch having a good feed on the seeds together.

This male Chaffinch looks very pleased with him self. 

I used an old cullender to put seed in as it drains out the water and all the birds seem to like it, I have also used an old sieve and that has worked well.

There are a lot of Great tits around at the moment as with Blue tits and Coal tits all getting very stroppy with each other.

I don’t know weather its over the food or about pairing up or territorial.

This Blue tit is feeding up in the cold weather, as are all the birds now to keep up their energy levels and to keep them warm.

Now is coming up to breeding season they will need to have plenty of energy to be able to care for their young.

I didn’t realize Collared doves are not native to this country and have only been over since the 50s and now one of the commonest birds in the UK.

They seem quiet and peaceful not aggressive compared with some of the other birds, they are easy to recognize as the name suggests with the collar, also if close enough you can see their red eyes.

It’s nice to see the Blackbirds pairing up again and having a good feed and looking healthy.

I hade fill a coconut shell with fruit seeds and fat it was hung up, but either the rooks or the squirrels have knocked it off but its nice to see the black birds enjoying it as they feed on the ground.

All though it’s been so cold for the time of year the birds are still pairing up and getting quite territorial with each other.

The Female Blackcap that has been around all winter.

I have noticed this female blackcap around all winter and have been waiting to see if there is a male around, but have not seen one, or any others come to that.

The Blackcaps don’t normally stay in the UK over winter; they usually head for warmer climates like Spain and North Africa but apparently there have been more seen in the winter over here may be because we feed the garden bird all year round.

You don’t need to pay to see a lot of things in Escot; just walking around the grounds there is plenty to see. The red squirrels are always nice to see. I caught them the other day at feeding time, the staff feed them at certain times with special food and it is not appreciated if the public tries to feed them with bread or biscuits as its no good for them.

It is very difficult to take pictures of then because they are very lively but I managed to get a few.

The red squirrels are in an enclosure to protect them from the grey squirrels that carry a disease that doesn’t affect the grey’s but it is very harmful to the red squirrels. Escot has a good breeding program and seems to be working well to help increase the numbers. 

Young Peacock at Escot in Devon, just strutting his stuff.

Just walking across a field at Escot and there in the wet grass were these toadstools or mushrooms I’m not sure which they are just growing randomly. 

This old naked tree is many years old, probably older than Escot Estate itself. It looks as if it lost its life a long time ago and now just a reminder of its former self.

Jackdaw collecting acorns while there are plenty around at this time of year, before other birds and animals get there first.

A Rook just taking off from the wires overhead. 

These Pheasants are fattening up for winter, its nice to see them living in a natural environment where they can live freely.

Young Cock Pheasant, all fluffed up after a good preen. 

This Cock Pheasant has found a nice large branch in the tree to roost in for the night, out of the way of any predators.

I don’t think people realize pheasants roost in trees, may be because they are quite big birds. Pheasants are mostly seen on the ground, I think they roost to keep out of the way of predators like fox’s.