Pink! Pink!

"Pink! Pink!" is the traditional transcription of the two-note alarm call of Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), whose song is a real feature of mild March days, especially if the sun is shining. While it is the male that sings, both sexes can be seen flycatching from the still-naked branches of apple trees in the orchard, sallying forth high into the air in pursuit of a tasty morsel. While many of the Chaffinches in and around the garden will nest locally, others are migrants, heading back north to breed in the forests of northern continental Europe, perhaps as far away as Russia. A few years ago we found a dead Chaffinch bearing a small metal ring on one leg. Close inspection revealed the word "Stavanger" followed by a series of numbers. A quick internet search and an email soon elicited confirmation that the bird had indeed been tagged in Norway, in early autumn, on its way south to spend the winter in the comparative mildness of a British winter.

Pink is also one of the colours of early spring, albeit it somewhat overhwelmed by the massed yellow of daffodils, primroses and celandines... Some pink flowers hit you in the eye in a none-too-subtle way; others are more discreet and easily overlooked. Here is a selection covering both extremes, with stops along the way.

Bergenia cordifolia Elephant's Ears

Chionodoxa forbesii 'Pink Giant'

Cyclamen coum – a last hurrah

Erythronium dens-canis Dog's-tooth Violet; modestly nodding flowers with gorgeous marbled leaves

Close-up of Erythronium flower – a subtle beauty

Carmine pink or red? Erupting buds of rhubarb

Toads ahoy!

After a false start a few days ago when a single female and two males appeared, last night marked the first real emergence of Common Toads (Bufo bufo), with several mating pairs in the top pond today, and some two dozen, along with a couple of Palmate Newts (Lissotriton helveticus) and three drake Mallards revealed by torchlight a few minutes ago. True to form, the spawning of toads comes six weeks after the ponds were heaving with frogs (see blog of 26 January). It seems that toads require a period of proper spring warmth to encourage them out of hibernation and I always associate the first toads with the first Peacock butterflies; a rough-and-ready reckoner that has proved accurate to within a couple of days this season. We have noticed that the toads vary considerably in colouration – from grey, through brown to markedly 'rusty' – as shown in these photos.

More Butterflies, a Beetle, a Bat and a Box

It was exceptionally warm and sunny today and according to the Countryfile weather forecast this evening it's going to be dry, mild and benign throughout the week ahead... When did that last happen?! Stimulated by the rising temperature, more harbingers of spring were out and about in the garden this afternoon, with several individuals each of four species of butterfly. Comma and Small Tortoiseshell both put in their first appearances of the year, vigorously defending territories in the same sheltered sunny areas as Peacocks and Red Admirals. At one point we watched two Commas spiralling around each other and continuously gaining height until they disappeared from view right over the top of a large ash tree. A Seven-spot Ladybird basking on bugle (Ajuga reptans) leaves was the first of the spring for us, as was a bat (probably a pipistrelle) flying around the edge of the wood at dusk. A happy afternoon of willow pollarding, Cornus stooling and Buddleia pruning (inbetween the butterfly watching, of course), accompanied by a soundscape of resident birds getting increasingly into breeding mode. We put up a new nestbox on the fern-garden oak tree and not a moment too soon by the looks of it; many of our existing boxes, both in the garden and in the wood, are already getting thorough inspections from busy pairs of house-hunting Blue Tits.