Given that spring is upon us, it's not surprising that life is getting active, and birds a-plenty are arriving to nest, or just rest whilst passing through.  Highlights in April must be the Black Redstart - if only for rarity value (it is a fairly dull looking thing, it has to be said...), but that is nothing compared to an event in the middle of the month was I was nearly involved in a collision with a Merlin.  Now your Merlin is like a Sparrowhawk (ish) but a lot smaller (sort of Pigeon sized, if not smaller), and contrary to popular myth doesn't have a beard or indeed a magic staff.  It seems that Merlins like a bit of Skylark, so it was that whilst I was attracted by a pair of Skylarks flapping about a ground level amongst a scattering group of Goldfinches, out of it all, manoeuvering like Lewis Hamilton (or indeed Jenson Button) comes a Merlin, empty-handed, straight for me, passing by within a couple of feet.  Needless to say, the Skylarks were quiet for a day or two afterwards!  Merlins tend to visit these parts over winter or on passage to their northern breeding grounds, so normal business has now been resumed.  Anyway, I found it quite exciting (but then I had just finished some book keeping...).

The old reed bed is starting to attract its summer visitors now - the Reed Buntings are resident all year now, but we are starting to see signs of warbler activity (indeed a Grasshopper Warbler has been spotted recently).  Oh, and the Swallows have turned up.  Well, some have.  We may even have three...  In 2006, we had dozens, so something is up.  There has been a marked decline golbally in Swallow numbers, blamed on habitat loss, both in their wintering areas (Africa/India) and in their breeding grounds.  Given that up here there are plenty of sites for them to breed (as they once did), then their decline is either down to their laziness (it is a long flight from Mumbai or Nairobi) or the local Pigeons here are evicting them.  Either way, the Swallows have always been an effective fly control system for us, so we are looking for a replacement.  Applications accepted from any suitable creature with the ability to fly or swing safely from a ladder.  Spiders not required.