A little brighter this morning, with some winter sun, starting to push it’s way through a light veil of mist, with a few patches of blue sky (at least at the start of the morning rounds!).
It feels like the Park is taking a breath at the top of the dizzying rollercoaster, before starting the plunge into summer! Bare black hedgerows are covered with constellations of white buds as Blackthorn prepares to flower, while Wayfaring Tree, Elder and Hawthorn are covered with green leaf buds.
Above the bridge to Caravan Terrace, the fluffy green catkins of Sallow are starting to open, with new Bramble leaves also starting to unfurl
Just outside the Learning Centre I stopped to listen to three completely different songs, all coming from Great Tits! Also singing, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Song Thrush, Blackbird and Blackcap to name just a few! Out above the meadows, Skylarks pour their liquid, lyrical notes into the air, with the chuckle of a Green Woodpecker and the ‘cluck’ of a Pheasant also heard.
In the Copse, the high-pitched calls of Goldcrests echo among the trees as they weave their way through the bows of Black Pines, with a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming away at the Aviaries.
A Stonechat darts in and out of the flowering on the Diagonal Path, with a Kestrel hanging in the air above Goat Plot as she scans for prey
Plants already in bloom include Lesser Celandine, Great Periwinkle, Spring Crocus, Grape Hyacinth and Primrose, with the rosette leaves of Early Spider Orchid, heart-shaped leaves of Dog Violet, bright green strands of Cleavers and glossy green leaves of Bluebell all newly appeared.
Fox musk hangs in the air around the Park, while Badgers have been digging among the woodchips in the Copse.