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Thanks Wurzal and Mike, he's doing well now but can't drive for anther five weeks which isn't going down too well. Like I told him though he'll just have to put up with my driving for a while, ( the eye brows went up at this) Goldie

Hi Goldie, some great photos in your last few posts

Sorry to hear about your husband, hope he recovers soon.

Neil.

Hi Goldie, I hope your husband makes a speedy recovery.

Mike

We've had a few set backs over the last couple of weeks, (thanks Mike and Neil for your posting) but my husband has a great sense of humour and didn't let things get him down, now all he wants his to get out he's fed up of sitting about, we're just waiting now for better weather and with luck off we'll go
March next week, I've been in the garden today trying to tidy up abit, it was lovely to see the Crocus and Snow Drops out, we've had alot of birds in the garden as well, Long Tailed Tit's ,Wren's , Robin , Coal Tit, Chaffinch, both Blue and Great Tit's, also Gold Finch, and Starlings etc, My husband calls the back garden "Starlingrad" Keep hoping a Butterfly will suddenly appear, too cold yet for that any way thanks again for your postings Goldie

March at last! Not been able to go any where just yet, hope fully though if the weather is fine I can start looking for Butterflies soon.

I've spent the few day's we've had gardening, it's been hard but i'm finally seeing some results. My Perennial Wall Flower believe it or not is still in flower, it's a wonder in it's self.

I've also taken a couple of shot's of the birds in the garden I think Spring has definately arrived for them, the Black birds have been chasing one another about also the Wood Pigeon's and the Gold Finch have been in the garden every day also this annoying Squirrel.

Can't wait to get moving again hubby is fed up now but should be driving this week all being well it's been a long road Goldie

Glad to hear that the end is in sight, both for your Husband and also for the winter Goldie Like the Starling action shot

Have a goodun

Wurezl

Fantastic week so far I went to Hall-Lee_Brook on Monday and saw my first Small Tortoiseshell of this year. I managed to get some shots as well which was great. It's the earliest I've ever seen them around here so let's hope thats a good oman for the year a head. I counted about 10 altogether some were even in my garden when I got back home which was great.

Today I went there again because I missed taking a shot of a Comma and was lucky to find him in the same area as yesterday and got my my photo. It really feels like Spring now I can't wait to find a Peacock BF now Goldie

Looks like the weather is going to be bad today, too much mist about so I thought I'd just put a couple of shots in my diary that I took this week.

After putting my washing out on the line the other day I came across these two, I'm not too well up on flies etc, so I'm not sure if their Blue B or Hover F, one things for sure Spring had certainly arrived

On my visit to Hall-Lee-Brook I came across the man made Pond now full of Frogs and I suppose Toads with the noise they were making It's truely amazing that this Waste Land I talked about when I first started My diary is becoming quite the avon for so much wild life now, hope fully more species of Butterfly will be attracted there in the near future.Goldie

Still getting use to my Camera

I've only seen one Butterfly since the 19th of March, although it's been sunny at times it's been very cold, snow on my garden shed this morning and both bird baths were frozen so not too good for BF.

On the 19th however I did have a "Honey Bee" and a "Bumble Bee" correct me if I'm wrong in the back garden and my Magnolia is starting to open so things are feeling like Spring ( just hope the frost dosen't spoil it)

The Butterfly I saw was a Small Tortoiseshell, it was looking for some where to hide because it landed in some large grasses and just disapeared, this was at Hall-Lee-Brook, I've yet to see a Brimstone there at any time, even the Peacocks are keeping a low profile up to now. I hope the weather improves next week Goldie

I hope you get a break in the weather soon Goldie but it appears that rumours of Spring were greatly exaggerated Great shots there. I think that your Honey Bee is a Hoverfly - some sort of Drone fly - Mark Colvin pointed me in the right direction on this a while back. The bee is a Tree Bee - if you go to the BWARS website they should be interested in your sighting as this species has been working northwards from the continent.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzal, sorry it's taken so long to reply but yesterday was a lovely day , very cold though with an East wind, the temp was about 9/10 at the best but I know that parts of Hall-Lee-Brook are sheltered from the wind (lots of hollows and tree's to protect it in some parts) so I ventured there very hope ful I'd see some thing, but with the temp being 6 below the night before I wasn't too sure that I would.

Has luck would have it , the first place I came to that was sheltered ,(down by the frog pond )produced a Comma and a Small Tortoiseshell, I was so busy filming these two I missed the Peacock that was sunning itself my one consolation was that I'd seen my first Peacock of the year and now I know their starting to fly. Rain today though so I'll have to wait and see what tomorrow morning's like.

Your info about the Bee is interesting has I saw one at HLB whilst I was there, I'll go to that sight you mentioned. I thought I was wrong about the Honey Bee, I suppose we'll have to wait for warmer weather to see many of them. If I catch sight of any to compare with the Hover Fly I'll take a photo

Incidently I kept my camera on micro for some of the shots, but I think I got abit too near on a few, I certainly enjoy trying the different settings . I caught the STS just has it was about to take off in the distance, thanks again Wurzal Goldie

I've had a good weekend at Hall-Lee-Brook, also the 1st of April, my husbands better now but still taking things easy, HLB is just across the way from us so we took a walk around there Sunday and Monday (took the car just incase.)

I saw a Brimstone, some thing I'd not seen there before, things are off to a good start and it looks like my thoughts on differant species making a home there are coming good.

It was abit cloudy at first, when I saw this spot of Yellow coming our way, I was so taken aback I missed it at first, it flew back in front of us and I managed to get a photo, boy was I pleased

I also got some photo's of the Peacocks, so all in all it's been great these last few day's, now I'll keep going back until I spot the Green Veined White and the Orange Tip's, not today though the wind seems to be from the East and rain has been forcast, first nice day , I'm off

One Peacock I saw had lots of white on it's wing concidering the've not been out very long, it looks like a flaw, I think I read some where that this can happen with Peacocks Goldie

That's a lovely Brimstone Goldie

I agree, great shot of the Brimstone

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks William and Wurzal, I was so pleased to see it. I went back to HLB today but it's too cloudy and still abit chilly for the BF's so I'll have to be patient and wait for the Sun to shine again.

I heard this bird in the garden the other day I couldn't get a Good shot of it though, it was too cloudy but I can make out
a very long tail , a light speckled breast, the rest of the bird seems very dark, it didn't sound like a Thrush I wondered if it could be a warbler of some kind, I'd like to give it a name.Goldie

EDIT having looked at the image in Photoshop and seen a clearly grey head - I now agree with later posts

The warbler like call suggested Dunnock to me and then first shot shows a greyish head so I'll go witn that, hope this helps.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I'll second that...Dunnock it is

Thanks everybody, I've got photo's of Dunnocks but I just couldn't work it out from the photo's, Dunnocks my photo's seemed much darker than this bird, I'm glad I know for sure, thanks again Goldie

Yesterday I went to Hall-Lee-Brook which is Now a conservation area, lucky for me I live so close to it.

The weather was cloudy and sunny, perfect I thought for filming Butterflies, I was right, I caught sight of my first OT and at that moment the Sun went in, he landed on a leaf near me and stayed perfectly still so I went to work with the camera.

I decided that when the Sun came out he'd shoot right off again so I thought it a good Idea to try and catch his movements if I could has He opened his wings, the pictures I took tried to do this. I just finished shooting him when a Small White landed near by again the Sun had gone in, this one was abit abit too quick so I only managed a couple, this went on all day I saw anther Brimstone and thanks to the Sun got more shots of that. I looked for a Speckled Wood no luck yet though .

I was happy with what I'd got and I'll keep going to HLB each day, I didn't realize that the Park which is next to HLB has also been taken into the nature reserve, there's a small stream runs through HLB which runs under the road and into the park , I've put the sign for the place into my post. When I checked it out there were Garlic flowers growing a long side the stream
and the smell was lovely really Spring like, any way hope fully the weather will continue to be kind, weve had a week here of cold winds and rain I was hoping for a change of some kind, but we're back in the clouds today, at least Spring has come for me now with the sight of the Orange Tip Goldie