A bit of news from last night - a TAWNY OWl (58) was heard to call out to the front of my house at around 10:30 last night. A bonus bird for the March list!

This afternoon I got home from work, having walked home in relatively warm conditions, with no cold wind hurrah! As I sat having a quick drink and a sandwich, the sun came out, it remained out for just 30 seconds into my walk, then a big black cloud came over and it rained....grrrrrrr.

I did get this photo of a sign of spring though, a buzz of bees on the crocus' just outside my back door, about a dozen in all.

Off to the woods, and the rain relented as the shower passed over, but the sun never returned. The expected bird species were back, some in song, mainly that of the GOLDCREST which 5 were seen between the Small Holding and Lake area. TREECREEPER also sang, as did COAL TIT, just one MARSH TIT was found, and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER was heard drumming, whilst a GREEN WOODPECKER called loudly, all this mixed with the calls and song of the much commoner species made for a pleasant, more springlike walk.

Once again I tried my luck at Migrant Alley, looking for an early spring migrant, which didn't materialise, however a MEADOW PIPIT (59) did flyover, the first seen since January, I can normally bank on this species every month of the new year up until the end of April, the latest sighting recorded was the 23 Apr, in both 2002 and 2007. Well done to http://barry-hunt.blogspot.com/ for predicting this one on yesterdays comments!

Whilst sitting at my horse jump seat, I saw both KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK hunting over the fields, and 3 CORMORANT that flew over towards the lake was a nice sight. A lone HERRING GULL, two BLACK HEADED GULLS and a single LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL (60), which was another new one for the March list, all flew eastwards.

I also noted that the work had begun in the sheep fields for the Hadlow College lambing weekend, most of migrant alley will become one big car park over this weekend.

The only other photo I took today was of the Marsh Tit, this one flew up from one of the pools of water in the wet woods, and sat and preened for a few mimutes.

Still no change in the weather, its still cold with an even colder wind, that just sucks the warmth out of you within a few minutes!

Not much change in the bird life around my patch either, I caught up with one of the PEREGRINES as I walked to work across Migrant Alley, but that was about the highlight for today.

I spent 90 mins around the Wet Woods and Lake area, getting progressively colder, and had to keep on the move to try and stay warm, one good thing about the cold wind, it has sucked up all the wet out of the mud, at least now I dont get muddy and cold :-). I watched a GOLDCREST feeding in the same fir tree as a COAL TIT, over in the lakeside scrub, and another two Goldcrest were seen along the footpath that leads from the woods to the lake, with a further two seen along Ashes lane as I walked home, they have survived the cold winter ok here!

The lake had just 3 CANADA GEESE, 2 MALLARD, 2 MOORHEN and the COOT on it - I wonder what I miss by not being able to visit the lake early on weekday mornings ?

I had a walk over to Migrant Alley, to have a scan of the fields and sky, I thought I might get lucky with a sighting of an early Migrant, but the only Migrants were winter ones, FIELDFARE and REDWING scattered all over the pasture and paddocks, probably around 200 birds in total. I tried to hide from the wind by pressing myself into the tall hedge for shelter, and although it helped a bit, I didn't stay long - just half an hour, and my only reward was a flyover HERRING GULL and two CARRION CROWS.

Is anyone out there finding any signs of spring ?

Above: A fed up CARRION CROW at Migrant Alley

Above: Goldcrest, this was one of a pair at Ashes lane

I had an hours ''Light'' left once home, and got a couple of photo's, but it was too dull a day really.

Below: This GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER was forced to feed from the floor, as a superior adversary was alreadyon the feeder.

Below is a WREN, it was scurring around the plant pots. I havn't got any good Wren photo's, and I still havn't :-)