I went along to Broadwater yesterday to do some measuring up (an essential skill wardens need to have - mastering a 50 metre tape) and ended up by the Decoy Pond. What a transformation from the winter!
The bluebells line the pond fringe and carpet the ground in the woodland nearby; a pair of grey wagtails have made their home on the island; you can just make out blobs of tiny tadpoles writhing in the pond vegetation; blackcaps are burbling from the birch trees; lots of large red damselflies have emerged and are busy are getting jiggy, using the pondside leaves to rest in their "love heart" mating positions; brimstone butterflies are still fluttering around, buffeted by the wind like confetti....
I encourage anyone to make use of the benches near the pond on a sunny day and just take the time to really see what's around.
A brimstone on a bluebell, looking a bit worse for wear now, and a large red damselfly taking a rest from his amorous activity.