Stock dove

I dragged myself out of bed early to do the third breeding bird transect in Thorpe Wood, although once I was up it was great to be out on a perfect spring morning, with the low sunlight outlining out all the young hazel leaves with silver. 

Plenty of bird activity today, including multiple willow warblers, blackcaps, chiffchaffs and nuthatches. This stock dove is keeping an eye on its nest sits, an old hollow ash that it seems to be sharing with a pair of jackdaws.

In the afternoon I spent a bit of time tidying the garden, mowing the lawn, and preparing salads for a family barbecue in the evening. The weather stayed perfect and we sat out in the garden until about 9 pm, when the biting insects started to emerge and we felt it was prudent to retreat indoors....