March to May is the time for romance on the reserve, here are a few of the courting couples seen this year.

I thought I would try a bit of macro photography today and see some our smaller visitors.

The swallows arrived and dived straight into the pond, I guess they were hungry and thirsty after a very long trip to the UK.

They were back again today and brought a couple of Sand Martins to play with:-

Who keeps digging up my woodchip paths? Well suspicions confirmed, see below!

Bit more badger action, getting really stuck in to my path!!

First came the frogs:-

Then the toads:-

Then the rats:-

Then the Mallards:-

Then the Moorhens:-

I hope we’ll have a healthy crop of youngsters this season.

I thought I would make good use of some of the tree stumps, so we have a picnic table and chairs for the little ones and an elevated observation bench for the adults. They will look onto our wildflower meadow which we plan to seed at the back end of the month.

Thanks to Libby for my birthday presents, some lovely birdie silhouettes, located now on the classroom roof.

Yesterday I took delivery of 7 rotting old tree stumps, great for the wildlife. Many thanks to Andy for supplying them and Keith for delivering them with his digger.

I eventually found time to do a bit of dry stone walling around Bobs bench, to give it a little wind break. A little raised bed behind should hopefully grow a nice little living screen.

We welcomed Ponteland Boys Brigade to the reserve today, where representatives presented 8 bird boxes that the boys had made. They kindly helped put up the bird boxes then helped move about 60 barrow loads of mud onto Love island.

Thanks to the guys and the two leaders Les and Darren who pitched in as well.