Cuckoo pint, signs of new growth

Cuckoo pint, signs of new growth

Cuckoo pint leaves developing among the fallen leaves from last year’s trees – this plant is in Old Nursery Wood/

Like other plants of the woodland floor, cuckoo pints need to get their sunlight early in the spring, before the trees above grow their leaves and put the ground into shade.

Long-tailed tit in bramble patch

long-tailed tit in bramble patch

Long-tailed tit which flew across the canal junst in front of me, and landed in the middle of a big parch of bramble on the far bank.

long-tailed tit in bramble patch

A moment later, someone passed the bramble with a small dog, off the lead. The bird took off for deeper cover.

Sparrow in a laurel bush

Sparrow in a laurel bush

Male house sparrow on one of the high twigs of a laurel bush, looking around very carefully.

Sunny spring morning, pond, Northycote

Sunny spring morning, pond, Northycote

I visited Northycote Farm to see whether I could spot any frogspawn in the pond. No sign, perhaps because it was only a couple of days after the persistent cold weather. As a consolation, I grabbed these pictures of the pond in the spring morning sunlight.

Sunny spring morning, pond, Northycote

Plumage on the turn, black-headed gulls

Plumage on the turn, black-headed gulls

Some of the West Park black-headed gulls as their plumage begins to turn to take on the summer form, with the adults developing the black cap on the head which gives the species its name.