Pasture ploughed

 The pasture near our home has not been ploughed in over 30 years that we have lived here so we were sad to see it sprayed and ploughed. 

We understand that the field is to be drilled with maize a forage crop used to feed cattle later in the year. Maize is much more nutritious than grass for forage and also less critical in terms of when it can be harvested so makes good sense to farmers as our weather gets less and less reliable.

We will miss seeing the cattle in the field though.

Kingfisher

The Kingfishers are busy excavating nest holes and preparing to raise their young. Recent years  with cold winters have seen  a reduction in their numbers so let's hope for a successful breeding season this year.
This bird is resting having had a quick wash and preen after emerging from the nest hole in the bank behind.

Wild Daffodils

The soil of the Cotswold Scarp does not favour wild daffodils which do not tolerate lime. However it is a different story just across the Severn near Newent where they grow well. Unfortunately modern farming and soil improvement has brought an end to the vast fields of flowers which used to bring people from far and wide to view and pick the flowers but there are plenty left in the woods, orchards  field margins and and verges where they give a spectacular display for a few weeks at this time.

Spring Equinox

 Today is the Spring Equinox so days will now be longer than nights and spring is well and truly here.
The banks are full of primroses and spring lambs are in the fields.

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Hawthorn

Hawthorn hedges are bursting into leaf, particularly the younger plants

Sunshine after foggy mornings

High pressure has brought an end to the rain for a while and the sun has come out when the fog eventually clears.

Common Crane

Spring is in the air and the birds are pairing up like this noisy pair of cranes at Slimbridge WWT. These birds were part of the Crane Reintroduction Project and were released in Somerset but some make their way back to Slimbridge and  will hopefully breed in the wild.

Happy St David's Day

 1st March is St David's Day and the feast of the patron saint of Wales is often marked by a display of daffodils although they are few and far between so far in our garden. It is also the first day of meteorological spring and a sunny but frosty morning here today.