Unwelcome visitors

The true wildlife lover, I suspect, treats all wildlife equally.  I don't find this comes naturally, especially regarding the garden; I will go out of my way to look after ladybirds but ruthlessly deal with greenfly (currently inhabiting the lettuce in the greenhouse).  We had some undesirable wildlife around this week, and I don't particularly mean the buzzard (still regularly overflying our end of the village) and the red kite that turns up from time to time.  The nuthatch pair, now busily applying mud to the outside of the nestbox to make it more homely, had a nasty moment when the greater spotted woodpecker dropped in to inspect the box.  I like the woodpecker, even though I know they take nestlings, but I like the nuthatches more and don't want their young to become woodpecker lunch.  Fortunately Woodie has no hope at all of breaking into the nestbox (it's made of terracotta), but I'm starting to see the point of the mud, if it makes the entrance hole too small for a woodpecker's head.

The other undesirable visitor was a rat which came to the patio to pick up droppings from the suet feeder and to nibble the apple left out for the blackbirds.  (Ironically, the blackbirds are much keener on the suet than the apple; the female blackbird can just reach the fatballs from an unsteady perch on the metal pole holding the feeder.)  I think it's an old rat; it looks a bit mangy and didn't hear me approaching.  It took refuge in the woodpile and I haven't seen it since; I have been taking a more lenient attitude to the local cats when they come into the garden (although on the whole I regard them as unwelcome visitors too!).

Woodie's less predatory cousin the green woodpecker has been drumming optimistically for a mate, and a tawny owl has been calling occasionally from nearby.

Good wildlife this week has included a song thrush, the long-tailed tit pair still coming to the suet feeder, and a pair each of goldfinches and bullfinches.  Flying insects are also coming out, including the first butterfly of the year (a brimstone, as usual).

The weather is still chilly, even when the sun is out, and recent showers have included sleet, snow and hail.  The flowers are coming out only slowly, with most of the main-season daffodils in bloom, some muscari starting and a few tulip buds showing, but little else at present.  At least the daffs are keeping us in cut flowers.  Seed sowing in the greenhouse has started, and the propagator is already full (with some double-decking); a new shelving unit has been assembled and is awaiting the rush of seedtrays ....