Majestic

Definitely possessor of some of the biggest antlers we have seen this stag paid us a brief visit just before dusk last night. I was hoping he might lose one of them for our display of broken antlers but that would have been a shame really.

Nesting material

I am used to seeing birds collecting nesting material but don't recollect ever seeing a rabbit doing it until now. A rabbit was on our tiny front lawn right by the house bold as brass collecting dried grass. It's spring and rabbits are doing what rabbits do - unfortunately. The fox has been around in the last few days so I guess he is at least pleased.

Bat out and about

Yesterday afternoon in bright sunshine a bat was hawking up and down the tree line on our West Field. It is so unusual to see bats flying in full daylight that I wondered why it was out. The only thing I can think of is that it had just come out of hibernation and was very hungry. It seemed to be catching insects so hopefully it will be OK. I got out my crude bat detector which simple measures the frequency of the echolocation and it was strongest at 50kHz which is not a great deal of help in identifying to species level. The way it was hawking and its fast flight mean it wasn't a pipistrelle. Its small size doesn't narrow it down much either. I need to get a more helpful bat detector!

Spring

The daffs are in flower around us so Spring is officially sprung. My favourite group of these emblematic wild flowers are very close by in a seldom visited part of the woods but the most well known show locally is Margaret's Wood Reserve which is alos pretty close. The photo is from the former site.

Bee Fly

The patch of Lungwort near to the house is always good for early insects. Today there was a Dark-edged Bee Fly feasting on the nectar. I couldn't see the dark edges but I'm pretty sure that is what it was. I have also seen the Western Bee Fly on site but that is found later in the year.

Pippistrelle in trouble

A neighbour found this Pipistrelle clinging to the stone wall of their house and got in touch with me. I called out the local bat man who thankfully was able to come straight away to tend to this cold and probably unwell bat. I am waiting to hear how things transpired once he got it watered, fed and warm. It is a male Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) but interestingly the pips around my house appear to be the Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus). UPDATE: Pip returned to site after feeding and watering and was seen 'scoffing insects' before returning to its roost.