More springlike by the day

Admittedly the cold wind and frequent showers have not completely gone but the sun shone briefly at least once this week.

Around Clevedon there has been little more in the way of movement but a few godwits have passed through.

First here is one I did see and identify on the still-flooded Dowlais field

Plainer back, brighter front and (if seen to feed), the greater tilt , shows this to be a black-tailed.

I did shoot off a couple of pictures of the curlew flock passing as they left their high tide roost on the Yeo.

When I posted the picture on Twitter people were kind enough to point out that there were 6 black-tailed godwits at the top and a bar-tailed centre bottom !

I could not find any more migrants to get excited about so I spent today (Fri) on the levels with my wife.

Several blackcaps were singing and flocks of sand martins passing but these are too small for my skills as a photographer. I concentrated on larger birds and in particular Marsh Harriers and Great White Egrets.

First a few harriers which approached close enough to give even me a chance

And next a Great white that was coming into full breeding plumage

I enjoyed myself so much that I thought an attempt at video was called for

Practice will no doubt help.

Just to prove that it really is spring the fields on my patch are now full of daffodils

..... and lambs

Finally, I know these are trying times but I intend to keep getting out and about locally for as long as it is allowed. I have spoken to two different reserve wardens and also the police this week and all were happy, indeed keen, that people continued to access reserves, partly, in order to stay sane.

If all else fails I will start to run my moth trap and photograph daytime insects in my garden. So far this year my total trap catch has been one mosquito and it has not got bad enough to need to photograph that yet.