A pint of mild please

To date, this winter has been in complete contrast to that a year ago. It has been so mild that already I have seen two species of amphibian, lots of ladybirds coming from hibernation (see Imperfect and Tense, also Bogbumper) and I've also heard a number of birds in song.

To anyone with an interest in wildlife the feeling of euphoria that ensues at this time of year is amazing. Its such a lift to the heart and soul to know that spring is about to be sprung and summer is around the corner.

It is further helped by daylight hours slowly drawing out of an evening so that in a few weeks time we'll be going home from work in daylight.

Between the mildness we do have the occasional spell of colder weather just to remind us we're not out of it yet and which seems to put a temporary hold on some wildlife's notion of wanting to play and get all frisky.

On my trips to work, my passenger who I lift share with has drawn my attention on a couple of occasions to foxes. One last Friday, two on Monday and a third which unfortunately was not a member of the Tufty Club. I need to log onto the British Mammal Society website to record my sightings.

The amphibians I have seen so far this year were a frog on 2nd January. That had got itself up the outlet of the pipe I use to run water from my water butts to top my pond, which I was doing in preparation for the forecasted rain that would then re-fill the butts.

The frog from up the pipe (c Rotton Yarns)

The second amphibian sighting, was at least four common newts seen on Saturday in one of the ponds on the heath at work. I had a bit of a look in my pond at home this morning, but no sign. I shall have to venture out one evening with a torch and look, as that is the best time of day for searching.

Given the time of year, I have acquired a substantial list of singing birds in the past couple weeks, they include:
Song thrush and Mistle thrush both singing simultaneously from the top of two trees
Blue and Great tit which seem to be singing everywhere
Blackbird
Dunnock
Robin

Just think, in about two months time it could be possible to start seeing the first of our summer migrants making their way back here to breed. Ah, wonderful!