Alton in mid April

A foggy start on 17 April on a circular walk put paid to hopes of finding grounded passage migrant birds. 
This blackbird was on the roof of the Naturetrek offices in Chawton. Later when the fog had cleared the staff found a female Redstart there. 

The sun magically appeared at 9am. This is what a blackbird is meant to look like - this male clearly had young in the nest being particularly tame and focused on the collection of food. 

At Kings Pond the two young herons on the lower nest are now well grown...

The upper nest still has a sitting/standing adult present. There seems to be at least one much smaller juvenile present - you can just about see a yellow eye and beak to the right of the adult's beak. There is another apparent ball of fluff to the left which might be another chick.

By Whitehouse Farm along the Selborne Road there are some False Oxlips - the hybrid between Primrose and Cowslips. 

Cowslips are spreading nicely here in one of the sheep fields.

The insect in more detail...

Yellow Wagtails are begginning to arrive. They are famous for feeding among the feet of animals - whether cattle in the summer months or zebra and wildebeeste in the winter. This Pied Wagtail was doing the same trick - catching flies which the horses where disturbing.