Blackthorn Spring!
The scent of the blossom is one of the first signs of spring here.
On Friday 23rd March, another very warm sunny day with no wind: Tree planting continued around the attenuation basin, a quiet occupation as it's all done by hand. The trees being planted have large root balls which need two people to move off the truck and into place.
Loudly singing robins, dunnocks and wrens were in full view on riverside tree branches, they need to sing and be seen as well at this time of the year, in order to defend territory and to attract a mate. Nest-building is carried out more furtively but the male wren at least, needs to build several nest for his mate to choose from.
Chiffchaffs were also singing loudly from the willows, the best time of the year to see them before the canopy hides them. In autumn they can easily hide amongst falling leaves, then they are away to warmer climates, although a few decide to stay over the winter.
There was again a fine view of a nuthatch visiting its nest hole and on another tree a camouflaged
treecreeper was making its was up the old damaged bark, the markings on its back merging in with the texture and colour of the bark.
Yes, the weasel seen the other day has a series of tunnels as today it was sunning itself on the bank, then darted into a hole in the earth and re-emerged out of another hole some distance away, then ran to another hole. Of course there may have been more than one weasel!
By now it was quite hot and vivid yellow/green Brimstone butterflies had appeared ranging along the new growth of plants along the river bank together with a Comma butterfly.
Turning through a bend in the river, a splashing revealed a little egret just taking off from the shallow river bed to perch on a branch in a thicket over the river, close to another little egret partly hidden by branches. They are fond of this river and must be a pair, probably the same birds which have been venturing up the Arun from Pulborough and Arundel for a year or more now.
Other birds seen were a green woodpecker, songthrushes, blackbirds, blue and great tits, long-tailed tits, house sparrows, chaffinches.
Looking up, a smart male kestrel flew out of an oak tree where it is probably building a nest.
Wood Anemone under the old riverside oaks, appearing through the winter's fallen leaves
and Lesser Celandine flowering on the sunny river banks
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