Swift half news - 19th April 2010

• Hedgehogs (a pair!) in Swift Half back garden - for the first time (that I've seen) this year, tonight.
• Rain for first time in about three weeks tonight - almost stormy briefly and quite humid - the rain only lasted 20 minutes or so though and I hear we're in for another sunny, warm week, with the wind shifting to a southerly after mid week, blowing away the volcanic dust I hope!
• The humidity has brought the male palmate newts out of the pond n all. I found one strolling across the patio (in the pitch black), getting followed by our Yala (female tabby kitten). zzz (A shot of one of last year's palmate newts).

Swift half news

• Robins still intent on nesting in shed, despite attention from our kittens.
• Two male woodpeckers and one female fighting in garden - interesting to note that the male woodpecker with the larger, brighter red flash on his nape always comes out on top in his fights with the male with the smaller, duller flash.
• Long-tailed tits nesting in neighbours garden.
• Palmate and Smooth newts active in pond.
• Frogspawn still frogspawn (no tadpoles yet).
• First pondskaters of year in pond.
• No activity in swift nesting space in roof, not even from sparrows / blue tits.
• Daffodils finally up -and visited by feather-footed flower bees.
• Kittens eating tawny mining bees and FFF bees in garden.
• No sign of local foxes presently.
• First butterfly (peacock) and tree buds appeared last week.