David

Bridgnorth, end of last month. A warm, sunny morning with a promise of spring. Honey bees were out in force on the crocuses in the borders in Castle Grounds Park, very active and filling their pollen baskets very full.

The bees may have been some of those from the nest high in the stonework of the castle ruins.

Perton recently. Clod and windy morning, threatening rain, so a lot quieter than usual. A male blackbird near me on the boardwalk, the viewing platform where the Penk drains into the upper pool. He was busy pecking away at something in the grooves of the wood, while keeping a wary eye on me.

Small patches of bright colour in winter. The fruiting bodies of these scarlet elf cups appeared, as usual, very early in the new year. They were still showing earlier this month.

Moorhen on the upper pool which was being very aggressive. It was in a large patch of water which it had cleared by chasing away not just other moorhens, but also birds much bigger tha itself.

Canada geese, coming almost overhead as they flew upstream above the Exe estuary, honking loudly.

Shrubby scorpion-vetch (Coronilla valentina) flowering in the middle of last month. A small shrub was one of the plants growing on the stabilised sand dunes to the landward side of Marine Drive, Exmouth.