What a difference two days (since my last post) can make. It's still cold - and April is now officially the coldest for 60 years, with a frost somewhere in the UK on every April day - but it has finally rained. Yesterday was properly wet, while today we were treated to a couple of significant hailstorms. May starts tomorrow, but it is still going to be cold (possibly for much of the month, if the forecast is to be believed). I hope there is some warmth soon, so that I can move my aubergines and peppers off the windowsill and out into the greenhouse!
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| Hail on the lawn ... |
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| ... and another lot on the way |
The rain has helped raise the water level in the pond, which was almost dry; the birds have enjoyed being able to bath in it again, and with the ground nicely dampened they are also finding it easier to seek out food. Our bereaved female blackbird has apparently struck up a new relationship with one of the local males; she has been gathering nesting material and taking it into the top of the long hedge. The new nest is just opposite our patio doors, so we might be able to track what develops there.
Another female blackbird has been feeding a youngster down at the other end of the veg patch, and occasionally they come up towards the house. Yesterday they were right up near the raspberries; mum went off to search for food under the big gooseberry bush and, after a little indecision, youngster decided to follow her. It was a good move, as it turned out; only seconds later the female sparrowhawk flashed by (and flew off empty-taloned, fortunately). Little blackbird wouldn't have stood a chance if he hadn't been inside the thorny gooseberry bush.
A new vaseful of flowers from the garden to brighten up the house: big red tulips (variety unknown), doronicums, honesty and centaurea montana.
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