Garden nature diary: The natural world on my doorstep
March 1: Common frog (The first frog spawn of the year, floating in the main pond. The first amphibians of the year, a pair locked together in the smaller pond.) Ramsons (Lots of leaves coming through in the area behind the palm tree.) Blackbird (Both male and female in the garden, separately.) Greenfinch (Pair of birds on the sunflower hearts feeder.)
March 2: Cormorant (Two birds in flight, high over the garden, heading north.)
March 3: Robin (Pair of birds on the feeding station.) Common frog (Pair locked together in the smaller pond. Two clumps of frogspawn in the main pond.) Stock dove (Pair of birds below the feeding station.)
March 4: Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond.)
March 5: Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond, which they can remain in that position for days.)
March 6: Coal tit (Several sightings of a single bird on the feeding station.) Greenfinch (Pair of birds on the sunflower hearts feeder.) Goldfinch (Pair of birds on the sunflower hearts feeder.) Blackbird (Both male and female separately below the feeding station.) Wren (Feeding on the patio.) Siskin (On the fat ball feeder, the first of the year, which takes me to 30 species seen.) Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond.)
March 7: Grey heron (Seen from the drive, in flight along Longfellow. The first of the year, 31 species so far.)
March 8: Coal tit (Several sightings of a single bird on the fat ball feeder.) Common frog (Assuming it’s the same pair, of course, but the amphibians are still locked together in the small pond.)
March 10: Nuthatch (On the seed feeder.) Raven (Two birds seen from the drive, in dusk flight heading towards Baggeridge.)
March 11: Common frog (Pair locked together in the small pond.) Song thrush (Single bird in flight almost over the garden, heading towards the golf course. First of the year, taking the total to 32.)
March 12: Greenfinch (Pair of birds on the sunflower hearts feeder.) Common frog (Pair still together in the small pond. The two clumps of spawn still on the surface in the main pond.)
March 12: Greenfinch (Pair of birds feeding on sunflower hearts.) Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond. The frogspawn in the large pond has developed and tiny tadpoles are ready to break through any time.)
March 14: Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond.) Starling (Two birds in low dusk flight, directly over our home. Seen from the kitchen window. First the year, up to 33 species.)
March 15: Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond.) Greenfinch (Pair of birds on the sunflower hearts feeder.) Goldfinch (Pair of birds on the sunflower hearts feeder.)
March 17: Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond. Tadpoles in the main pond spawn are well-developed and ready to hatch any day now.) Common buzzard (Soaring bird low over the woodland beyond the lane, seen from the kitchen.)
March 18: Common frog (Pair still locked together in the small pond.) Common buzzard (Soaring bird making its way up the valley, low over our home.)
March 19: Common frog (Tadpoles are breaking through the spawn.) Greenfinch (Pair of birds feeding on sunflower hearts.)
March 20: Goldfinch (Single bird on the sunflower hearts feeder.) Little egret (Bird in northerly flight along the base of the valley.)
March 27: Common frog (Spawn in the small pond. Can’t see any tadpoles in the other pond.) Wagtail (A pair of birds in flight. Seen from the kitchen window but just silhouettes, so not able to identify.) Goldfinch (Pair of birds on the sunflower hearts feeder.) Blackbird (Female in the garden.)
March 28: Common buzzard (Three birds soaring high over the valley.) Hedgehog (The first one of the year in the back garden. Alerted to its presence by my dog barking.)
March 30: Canada goose (A pair of calling birds low in flight over neighbouring garden, heading towards Baggeridge. First of the year, up to 34 species.)
March 31: Blackbird (Female on the lawn.) Sparrowhawk (Bird flashed through the garden.)