The last few weeks have been full of activity, beginning with the arrival of the first swallows as long ago as the end of March. These early birds did not stay and moved on a couple of days later and, due to poor weather, were not followed until the middle of April, when not only they, but house and sand martins both arrived with the next wave of swallows and they were followed at the beginning of May by the first swifts. Most of our other spring migrants have arrived sporadically but a notable passage migrant was a redpoll, which stayed for a few days. The cuckoo was first heard in early April but has not been very vocal and a lot of people have not yet heard it. Apart from our usual breeding birds, little grebes, coots and long tailed tits have been reported as breeding locally, while ducklings have appeared from everywhere.

Bumble bees and queen wasps seem to be in their usual numbers along with all the other spring insects , but their appearance has been sporadic due to the cool and unpredictable weather pattern. Among the butterflies, comma, holly blue and brimstone have been seen but the moth population seems to be very low with nothing unusual having been seen.

Frog spawn has been reported as not hatching very well due to the cold weather and there have been very few reports of toad spawn . Although newts have been seen in ponds there has not yet been any evidence of breeding.

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