What a change from yesterday, with glorious sunshine pouring out across the Park. Today a patrol though the woodland, where the sun was dappling through the bare branches of Sycamore, upon which was a Song Thrush. This bird was singing loudly producing a wide range of vocalizations, from below the pale slightly spotted chest could be seen.
On the magnificent Beech were a couple of Great Tits, their chattering catching the ear, these also producing a wide variety of songs and calls.
From the tops of one of the London Planes came the cackle of a Magpie, the tail wafting downwards as I peered high into the branches. In the next Plane was a Green Woodpecker while the Common Lime was being occupied by a Wood Pigeon.
The woodland tree cutting work has just about been completed, with glades being opened up and light now being allowed to reach the ground, plus some of the heavily leaning trees being taken out, this is the first time for about 30 years since the Great Storm of 1987 that any major work has be undertaken.
By the aviaries, a splash of purple from the Spring Crocus, most of these closed in the early morning but about to burst open as the sun warms. Outside the Castle the Daffodils are a glorious yellow, while elsewhere they are still in bud.
Dangling from the waxy leaved Japanese Spindle are its pinkish buds with bright orange seeds inside. On one of the thin spindly twigs of the Snowberry a single white round globule still to be seen.
The Blackthorn across the Park is now starting to show the buds of its flowers all currently tightly closed, as are the buds over the tiny new leaves of Bramble and Wild Clematis.
A male House Sparrow calling from the prickly stems of a Dog Rose while Blue Tits were competing for the air waves and a family of Long-tailed Tits were constantly chattering to each other.