What a change with rain dripping from the skies! The first time for about a month that we have had real rain.
As I listened to the Skylarks singing as they fluttered high above the meadows, I was unable to spot the tiny dots somewhere amongst the wet grey drizzle.
A scratchy song captured my ear, and a Common Whitethroat was perched on the top of the Blackthorn, whose white blossom is now going over to be replaced by small green leaves.
The fields covered in large patches of Cowslips at present, this bit of rain should help encourage these and more of the flowers to emerge and grow.
A superb view of a Bullfinch, the bright pink chest in the middle of the rambling Travellers Joy, which is also now producing new shoots.
In amongst the grass of the downland, the Chalk Milkwort is emerging, the bright blue flowers looked to be tipped with white frilly ends. As I was on my hands and knees looking at them a Lesser Bloody-nosed Beetle was spotted underneath the leaves – not sure if it was sheltering from the rain or not.
Underneath many of the hedgerows, the Bluebells are in bloom, as are Herb Robert, Three-cornered Leek and in a few places Honesty and White Dead Nettle.
More birdsong with Dunnock and Chaffinch both in full voice as they are perched on Elder and Hawthorn. A burst of Great Tit was followed by a chase between the singer and an interloper, a crashing of feathers are they collided.
Yesterday in the glorious sunshine 2 Weasels were chasing across the short grass, a blurr of ginger fur as they small sausage shaped mustelids whizzed about.