General (County) update - 22nd April 2011

• As described below, the hot (its way past "warm" down here now), weather continues - bring ing horse chestnut "candles" out at least two weeks early.
• Club-tailed dragonflies are emerging from one of their national strongholds, near us on the Thames.
• Anna and I had a drink on the river last night and I spotted only my second Reading fox (outside our garden!!!) in 5 years of living in the area. Quite strange really.
• First of the mayflies appeared on our office window yesterday - joining the St.Marks flies which Anna and I noticed last weekend. (These flies are so-called because the adults all fly for a week, around 25th April  or St.Marks day - it just so happened they were maybe ten days earlier than normal this spring - in common with many other beasties and plants that reside here all year round).
• I've (we've) not had a chance to wander up the river or through a wood recently, so I can't give you more of an update than this, presently - but we'll (Anna and I) try and go to our annual bluebell wood over the next four days and see what's about there....