Having watched the last of the sunshine disappear, as I ate my breakfast, to be replaced by a covering of grey cloud, I had to step out into the drizzle!
Many of the birds had dropped lower into the bushes to avoid the wet, but some were still willing to perch openly including along one fence line, a Blackbird, a Robin and a Wren all singing loudly. A great chance to hear them and see them together.
As the rain fell harder a Green Woodpecker took flight, yaffling as it flew, the up and down flight pattern easy to recognise.
Just over a wall, lying in the grassy field was a male Roe Deer, his antlers now free from their velvet covering, for once he did not bound away, but instead slowly rose watching me intently, before bounding off, but slowly!. The whole of his backside covered with white fur, like a powder puff.
Just ahead of me, a chestnut blurr crossed, as a Fox dashed along the narrow route amongst the grasses, a small white brush on this end of its tail.
Chatting from the middle of a clump of Blackthorn was a Stonechat, the orange chest, white neck band and black head just visible amongst the branches and delicate blossom.
The occasional burst of song from a Skylark as it started to rise above the ground, before dropping back again, it too perhaps waiting for the rain to stop before venturing further.
Across the meadows the flowers are coming out, with Cowslips in abundance – but hopefully many more to come, elsewhere a deeper yellow from the Dandelions and a scattering of Daisy flowers.
Along the hedgerows Bluebells are just starting to show alongside Primroses and Herb Robert.