A touch of spring

Back to serious work this week - with twelve reports to complete by mid-March I can't afford to ease up. And I still have to complete my accounts so that my tax return goes in on time! Still, not panicking yet...

I managed to take an hour out to wander round Thorpe Wood today and was delighted to find several signs of spring. In a sunny, sheltered corner the Hazel was in full flower, and there are fresh shoots of Dog's Mercury poking through the leaf litter on the woodland floor. 

The birds appear to be preparing for spring. Several Robins were singing territorially and I also heard the two-tone call of several Great Tits. However, most of the tits are still intent on feeding, and I enjoyed watching a mixed flock moving through the bare branches, picking tasty morsels from the buds. I improved my year's bird list with sightings of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Long-tailed Tit, though it's still looking pretty sparse compared with previous years.