more loud singing

 greenfinch

the air is full of birdsong because every male bird seems to be shouting at the top of his voice. At this time of year just before the leaves appear  they are much easier to spot.

chaffinch

sea side flowers

Sea campion is a close relative of  red campion and has the same pattern of five deeply divided petals.

Dogviolets are hardy plants that will grow almost anywhere.

Thrift is a sea side specialist and loves these barren rocky and salty places.

Life of Harriet

It's a sign, it's a sign, we must carry a shoe in our mouths.

Cormorant at Downderry

we have several Kurt Jackson paintings (from a time when he was very inexpensive) but he didn't paint this one

pond skaters do battle

he who trembles most, wins

the world is alive with the sound of living

Life is stirring; the air is buzzing with the hum of bumble bees and hoverflies, brimstones, peacocks and commas are emerging, celandines, daffodils, wood anemones and dog violets are in flower, long tailed tits, wrens, robins, great tits are singing out, buzzards are pairing up by soaring on Spring thermals, the fish were leaping out of the water. Spring.

 wood anemone

 comma and celandine

 robin singing his socks off

One thing I have noticed is that the first butterflies to emerge in early Spring are much more frisky and easily unsettled than later in the year and therefore harder to photograph. This is surprising given that it remains quite cool especially in the morning. It may be because as there are fewer of them at this time of year they are more conspicuous targets for birds and other predators, so it pays to be more agile.