Wildlife enjoying the warm spell

The frogs in our garden pond are spending a lot of time near the water, enjoying the warmth from the sun.  There are still about 15 frogs resident in the pond and they are less skittish now that the spawning season is over.

 The Goldfinches have done well this year.  Last year there was a pair and this year there are often 5 or 6 individuals flying across the garden in a group.  They perch in the taller trees and shrubs and sing frequently.  They also have a distinctive warble when they fly past.

 Sparrows abound in profusion.  This cock sparrow is perched in the tulip tree at the top of the garden.  They are very communal birds, feeding and nesting in groups.  They tend to perch within the laurels or the holly hedge and dart out to the bird feeders at intervals during the day.  Numbers seem to be fairly constant this year.

 At Trentham Lakes, the herons are also quite active.  They are always noisy when they are nesting and they can be seen frequently flying low over the lake.  The colony also seems to be larger this year than last which suggests that there was a good survival rate over the very harsh winter.

At this time of year the herons are quite easy to photograph.