Spring creeping in?

Small Tortoiseshell, Titchwell Village, 7 April 2013

Although I've had the last week off I've really managed to see very little. This is down to two factors the weather and family commitments. However over the last day or two the sun has got out and we've had some great blue sky days.

Spring is slowly starting to assert itself and amongst other signs I've seen recently have been clumps of frog spawn both here in West Norfolk and in Norwich.

Yesterday I did a return journey from here in Hunstanton to Sandy in Bedfordshire and back, managed to spot out the corner of my eye whilst driving half a dozen buzzards, a couple of Little Egrets, a single Sparrowhawk and a few Kestrels.

Buzzards were also a feature of a drive I did this afternoon to get number two son to sleep, with one on the deck and another four thermalling in the air together. Great to see these medium sized Birds of Prey back in East Anglia.

The award though, for highlight of the day either has to go to the Red Kite that flew low over the A149 on the eastern edge of Thornham or the two Small Tortoiseshell's flitting around a sheltered sunny ditch in Titchwell village. These were only my second Butterflies of the spring, the first being a Comma in Norwich a few weeks ago on a rare mild day.