April

I am not a diary keeper but having looked back I thought I might try again as it is nice to keep track of what I do and see.
Walking round Park Wood  has been a real pleasure the last two weeks. The sun was shining and birds were singing albeit common woodland species, it was still a spirit lifter to here the tits and wrens belting it out. This week we heard Chiffchaffs singing for the first time, there were at least 5 proclaiming their presence, a real affirmation of the arrival of spring. It is often the car park area that has the most activiity and it is quiet in many parts of the wood but this morning Nuthatches, Wrens, and Blue and Great tits were evident in all parts the wood and there were even 3 Coal Tits feeding in the slowly bursting buds.
Taking part in a small project looking at the phenology of woodland trees and plants makes me look around me in a slightly different way and it is interesting how trees of the same type break into leaf earlier than others. Quite a few of the oaks have green leaves showing but my oak is still bud bound although they are swelling and the Silver Birch is just showing a hint of green wheras many of the other birches are a greeny haze.