The weather may not back up such a claim, but if you venture out in the sunny spells or simply ignore the sky you will find that Highnam Woods is in the midst of spring. The bluebells are out, so it must be true!
The cuckoo flower (lady's smock) has been out for a while now too, and is providing much needed food for the orange tip butterflies which are easily seen when the sunshines. Other butterflies seen in the last week include peacock, holly blue and small tortoiseshell, all showing that the general temperature is beginning to rise a little.
The definitive example that spring is here though is, without doubt, the birdsong. The first nightingale was reported on 16th April, and I found 5 before the weekend. Yesterday was a real treat though, standing on the path in the sunshine at around 11am, listening to a single nightingale calling. We also had a willow warbler singing right over our heads, as well as blackcaps and chiffchaffs a little further away. The green woodpeckers are still active, although a little less vocal than they were a couple of weeks ago.
With the blue tits, great tits and nuthatches now tending nests in boxes, and marsh tit still active near the hide there is always something to be seen at Highnam at the moment. Nagshead is an equally exciting place to be too, with the bluebells about to burst, and many of the migrant birds settling down to breed, even the wood warblers have returned now.