The resident mallard male on Turner’s Field pond dabbling: possibly gorging on frog spawn or tadpoles.
Old spots, mud
My last visit to Northycote Farm was on a cold, damp and thoroughly miserable day.
I spent most of my time watching wild birds coming to the feeders – see the video in yesterday’s post. But I also had a quick look at my favourites among the farm stock, the Gloucester Old Spot pigs: currently one boar and two sows.
Marsh marigolds by Bantock Park pool
Marsh marigolds flowering at the edge of the small pool at Bantock Park, brought on by the return of warm weather towards the end of March.
Horsetail, unopened
A horsetail, a “living fossil” primitive plant, before its leaves open to create the supposed similarity to a horse’s tail.
Feeding time at Northycote Farm
Birds taking advantage of the seed and peanut feeders at Northycote Farm. Great tits and blue tits, and a visit from a coal tit.
Cormorant and greater black-backed gulls
Cormorant sharing the obviously well-used platform at Longmoor Pool, Sutton Park, with a group of greater black backed gulls.
Nuthatch on a feeder
Nuthatch doing its walking downwards act as it samples the peanuts in the feeder at Northycote Farm.
Wallflower
This wallflower was a plant I spotted growing on the edge of someone’s front garden.
Icknield Street, Sutton Park
A one and a half mile section of the Roman road of Icknield Street runs through the western side of Sutton Park, where it forms one of the bridle paths.
Cherry blossom
Japanese cherry are used as street trees near the Leisure Centre in Wombourne. They were in full flower in mid-March.
Reeds, reflected
Patch of reedmace seen reflected in the water of the canal it was growing by.
Male chaffinch on the ground
The same male chaffinch featured in the previous post, now moved on to eating seeds scattered on the ground below the feeder.