Some other birds that seem to be hanging around on the big back hedge by the pool...

A male Linnet....

a female Linnet...

and a Common Whitethroat...

as well as an orange tip butterfly...

and a banded demoiselle...

The pool is filling up nicely with the rain we've been having ....

there are a few greenfinches on the back hedge...

as well as beautiful pink hawthorn blossom....

and the meadows are awash with colour....

I seem to be down to five cootlets....

The coots at the other end of the pool is now up to five.....

One of the mallard families has six little ducklings....

And the sedge warblers are doing lots of singing and trilling!!...

The Reed Warblers are back in town.... singing from dawn to dusk!

The coot at the other end of the pool has had her babies today...
I can just about see four red heads tucked underneath her front ....

Taking my little ones off exploring round the pool....

Aren't they gorgeous!!

Make that six!!
(four in the nest, one halfway down in the shadows, that mum is trying to feed, and one by mum's front saying "no, me please, I want it!")

Hurray - I've had my babies!  Four little red headed beauties!

Here we are ... waiting expectantly for Daddy coot to bring us more food....

The wren has a lot to say....

The Reed Bunting is doing a balancing act... and looking good....

And I'm still sitting!!

Still waiting for my eggs to hatch but at least it is nice and warm and sunny here...

Mrs Mallard has beaten me to it - producing 7 little ducklings....

The  Horse chestnut tree is emerging....

and some Sedge warblers have returned...

Spring flowers by the ditches....

Willow blossom....

and tadpoles in the sunshine....

Ohhh isn't spring lovely!!!

The peacock butterflies are enjoying the celandines...

The small tortoiseshell butterflies are on the nettles....

the toads are gathering by the board walk...

another coot family are nesting up the other end of the pool...

and I'm due in about a couple of weeks!!!

Spring has sprung and we have built a lovely new nest on the pool and I am very happy in it!

and here are a couple of Greylag geese visitors who have 'blown' in .....

not sure how long they are staying but they don't bother me....

Sunshine and showers....

emerging buds.....

a male Reed Bunting...

a Starling...

and a Grey Wagtail rummaging under the leaves on the carpark...

Mmmm... bullrushes like candy floss.... attracting the wren.....

and the diggers on their 3rd week now, using the dug out soil to raise the path round the main pool...

The return of the frogs!...
Frogs are returning to the area on the wetland where they laid their eggs last year...
some to find a mate with a lovely voice (you can hear them calling)
but some have already made their choice and paired up ....

and some have even laid their eggs....

The swans are waiting for the rains to raise the water level and trying to decide where might be a good place to build their nest this year ...

The diggers are still hard at work on the North Meadow...

and the Buzzard circles above, looking for opportunities....

The beginning of March and there is lots of activity down here on the pool.

The Heron is fishing in the shallows...

While three snipe are puddling around in the muddy margins...

The view from the boardwalk looks different after lots of hard work from the volunteers cutting back some of the reeds...

but there are still lots of quiet corners to hide in....

Diggers are hard at work in the North Meadow, making lovely places for us birds to enjoy...

And this pied wagtail is getting stuck in already!