It certainly felt as if spring was coming on Saturday - then back to winter.
On the reserve there are signs of spring with the Skylarks singing on warm days, Reed Buntings looking smart in their best plumage and courtship behaviour being seen everywhere.
In the Wildlife Garden the bulbs are flowering and these are a good source of nectar and pollen for the early flying bumble bees. We did lose a lot of crocuses to the wood mice but some have survived. In any garden it is helpful for wildlife to have as long a flowering season as possible and this usually starts with spring bulbs, and the cheaper, single flowered varieties are the best when on a sunny spring day bees can be found in the centre of the wide-open flowers. Most are planted in autumn but snowdrops are most successfully transplanted as the leaves die back after flowering.
As I was checking the Garden, Lockhart was in the hides taking advantage of the weather with his camera and hepling visitors get the most from the day.
A Snipe,
Curlews, which will soon be moving to their breeding areas,
and a Little Egret showing the yellow feet. Thanks for the photos, Lockhart