Sunshine Saturday

Not as hot as I would like it today due to a chilly on-shore E breeze here on the coast but still very pleasant away from it.
The rape fields are now starting to come into mass flower and they're always one of my favourite sights and smells in the Spring. Given the hardness of the winter this year I'm surprised that it is this forward so early. But how it brings beautiful colour to the uniform green of the arable fields and what an early bonus for all those bees, etc. that are looking for sustance at this time of the year. I even love the stong smell of the pollen as it drifts across the fields, but then I don't suffer from hay-fever.


This view from The Tower Hide this morning shows The Flood looking particually good at the moment and hopefully the birds feel the same.


Over on the saltings the Scurvy Grass is now coming into flower in large drifts. This flower was so named because its leaves were a valuable source of Vitamin C for sailors suffering from scurvy.


This Reed Bunting appeared to be looking for directions, or perhaps he was there to show the way.


Finally, after much looking, I eventually managed to find the first Coot's nest this morning. So unusual for there not to be many about on the reserve, this time last year I had already counted around fifteen nests and we ended the year with a total of 39 nests.


Lastly, doble click on this photo and the bee/flys come up really well. Although I captured this one on a hawthorn leaf, every year these insects swarm across the ground in huge numbers, rarely rising more than a couple of inches high. They seem to prefer dry soil, especially around rabbit holes. They look very similar to a Worker Bee but presumably aren't and I would love to know what they are.