General (County) update - 6th March 2011

• Even though we've had a pretty chilly week (easterly winds you see), its beginning to get innnderesting out in the wilds again.
• Ducks, grebes and coots are all fighting and mating.
• Pigeons are nest building.
• The winter flocks are breaking up.
• Crocuses (croci?!) are above gorund now, as are the first of the large daffodils (the dwarf daffodils have been and gone in many cases).
• Mr.T suggested he saw the barn owl near the local box yesterday - me - I don't know if its still around now - no evidence of the owl anywhere near the box (no pellets, no lime) and much work on the local river means I think there'll be no owl there this year, but I live in hope. At least Mr.T has seen it?
• The local cormorants seem to be very active - the photo below (click twice to see its largest size) shows one of these opportunist birds perching on an electricity pylon in my local patch - something I've never seen before

• Also - VERY good to see both a male peregrine (tiercel) and female peregrine (falcon) perching on the building next to my place of work - not seen two before there ever!