easy to hear, easy to see

a yellowhammer (probably a male, but with a very rusty chest), calling attention to itself with the characteristic call "bit of bread and butter and cheeeeEESe" except the call can be quite variable and this one missed off the cheese. His mate was nearby, and usually they feed away from the nest. Like many birds they have been badly affected by the use of herbicides and other changes in farming practice

morning glory

The lanes feel beautiful now with the larks above and the morning sun.

easy to hear but hard to see

a sky lark singing with all its might, barely visible against the clouds (it is a tiny speck right in the centre of the top picture) and brought a bit closer by the zoom. Unfortunately, our new trick of taking fast photos at very high ISO values doesn't work so well with our old camera.

purple orchids

early purple orchids have appeared in large numbers on the drive into Duchy College. It looks as if it might be a good year for orchids even though we couldn't find any at all on Thursday in Greenscoombe meadows. The little blue flower is germander speedwell, and there is some sorrel about to flower

cloudy Tamar

a quiet day on the Tamar, and below the inaptly named grey wagtail, foraging by the side of the road rather than by fast running streams where they usually live.

small body big voice

a male wren singing his heart out, and very loudly too for such a small bird