The Singing Skylark

First thing this morning I drove over to Edgefield plant nursery to buy a number of plants / shrubs - a lovely nursery and excellent value. I go when they first open as only a couple of people there and the staff have time to help you find what you want / would meet your needs. Then after breakfast I headed out to Weybourne to see if the skylarks were around, and as you can see, they were. It was very windy again today, so my hat flaps were down again and it was incredibly bitter in the strong wind, despite the sun and the 9C temperature. 

It was so nice to hear the skylarks singing perched like this. They're ground nesters and I was annoyed to pass a woman with 3 dogs not on the lead and wandering into the field they're nesting in - so selfish. At the talk yesterday, the speaker was saying how much abuse their volunteers get when they ask dog walkers to put their dogs on a lead during the Spring when such birds are nesting on the ground, laying their eggs and bringing up their young. He also said that warning signs and ropes are often removed and cameras have been thrown into the sea and destroyed. They've had to put their staff and volunteers through special training on defusing difficult situations. I find it so shocking and unacceptable. 

On the drive home I dropped into Holt Garden Centre for some seeds for growing salad. This year as well as tomatoes, salad onions, chives, lettuce and cucumbers, I'm going to attempt to grow rocket, cress and sweet peppers This afternoon I did a quick, high, first cut of the lawn, hoed over the borders that get some sun, and took the cover off the raised bed and raked it over ready for planting seeds later in the month.