20 Mar
The village pond on Upper Common has been replenished after a couple of weeks' rain.
At the far side the Marsh Marigolds are in bloom.
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19 Mar
Primroses are adding colour to the banks.
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Cloudy, but warm and still by the lake below The White House.
But not quite so calm with a few noisy pairs of Canada Geese making themselves heard.
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17 Mar
I assume that this is a Willow Warbler or a Chiffchaff. But it did have a very yellow chest
which might mean that it is an early arrival Wood Warbler.
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Oak Moss, although it grows on other trees as well. Some blackthorn bushes are covered in it.
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16 Mar
Healthy lumps of fertilised frogspawn. How many of these black dots will grow into adults is a guess.
It's thought to be about two percent. The rest become prey to ducks, fish, beetles, newts, dragonfly larvae,
rats, foxes and hedgehogs.
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photo courtesy of Margaret Dean
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14 Mar
Beautiful colours and patterns in this oak. I believe that a fungus is responsible for the
beautiful colourings. The pinky/purple colour within the wood is quite a common sight,
but the deep purple in the bark is a bit more unusual.
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photo courtesy of Margaret Dean
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13 Mar
Close up & personal.
If you get close up to a bit of woodland floor you see all the little bits of life that you miss as you walk by.
Here there are beautiful colours of a decaying catkin and yound wood anemones pushing through the fallen oak leaves.
And that is on top of the bluebell, dog mercury and violets.
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I'm not a great fan of large daffodils but the little wild daffodils are lovely harbingers of spring.
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The pale, unfolding leaves of wood sorrel.
Soon they will have a delicate little, pink-veined white flower.
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4 March
Looking south towards Cuckfield from Balcombe on Sunday afternoon.
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3 March
A Jay perching in an Alder. While usually eating acorns and seeds they have obtained a poor image
with the public for their habit of taking young birds.
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The first Blackthorn buds that I've seen. Just in time for next week's cold snap.
Wintry weather in March and April is often referred to as 'Blackthorn Winter'
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