The recent rains have really brought the spring flowers on in Bellhurst Wood – dog’s mercury growing up, some already flowering; primroses including one in full flower; early purple orchids coming on well by the stream; and lots of wood anemone leaves appearing. Our 9 nestboxes are all ready, and today we put up a larger box for woodpeckers; meanwhile we continue to top up the seed and nut feeders which prove ever popular with our resident Great, Blue, Coal and Marsh Tits and Nuthatches. Winter bird highlight was a pair of diminutive Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers on 10th February, the male drumming with a long, even-toned rattle quite different from the short burst of its much commoner congener, the Great Spotted. Knelle continues to reveal its ancient secrets!