Toft Garden Early May

A catch up on the records for the last few days in my garden in Cambridgeshire. Lots of favourite species emerged over the last few days with the very warm weather, including the Speckled Bush Cricket  and also some species still around though past their zenith such as the Ashy Mining Bees. The bee hotels have been busy with the Red Mason Bees bringing in mud to seal their cells. They collect water at the edge of the pond but I am resisting photographing this as I have already got very wet once this year getting too engrossed in the task!! ID sheet at end

 

RSPB Fowlmere

Fowlmere reserve was aloud with Cuckoo Calls and Reed Warblers in full song but the best photo opportunity was this fledging Robin waiting to be fed by its parent.

Nightingale Hunt

A friend was keen to hear Nightingales locally so, on Wednesday, it was off early to Paxton on a hunt for this elusive songster. There were plenty of birds singing and even showing themselves well including the Whitethroat and Chiffchaff and even a Robin with a crossed bill got in on the act. It was beginning to get a bit warm so I was hoping that we were going to succeed and, at last, that wonderful chuckling song rang out from the deep scrub and entertained us with its variety of 'tunes' for a long while flitting in and out of the dense scrub. I only managed a fleeting photo this time. On the walk back the Variable Damselflies and Banded Demoiselles were waking up and we had time for a quick visit to the hides to check on the heron chicks, Coots and Grebes. 

Goodbye Potholes in Toft

All the notices around Toft indicated that the village would be closed yesterday for road works but the day came and went with no activity.  Today they took us by surprise and arrived unannounced to resurface the road.

 I was out with a macro lens so not fully equipped for the job but here is the workflow as it unfolded. First all the drains and manholes were taped, then the convoy came through with lots of noise and smells as they sprayed tar on the surface, followed by gravel from a second machine and finally a quite small roller that went over the surface a few times. 

Finally the tape etc was taken of the drains etc and the roads opened up just in time for me to collect the grandchildren from school - very slowly!! I wonder how long the potholes will stay filled in.