[Joe Dell]

My missus plans to dig over the rough corner where I bury the shot cats. I could be in trouble.

[Bill McCarthy]

Flocks of Golden Plover passing through. Frog spawn appeared as usual on the April full moon. Spring oats finally in the ground - I’ve gone for a type called Elyann (the seed look like bliddy screenings) - can @The Farmer comment on the choice as it has not been grown here before. I normally grow Aspen or Canyon.
Lambing over bar just 4 hanging on to them.

[Flyingfemme]

Yesterday was like a summer’s day in Gloucestershire. The smell of BBQ in Cheltenham, later in the day, was strong enough to knock you over. I think a lot of people are getting quality family time right now. Every cloud, etc, etc.

[Rob P]

First of the Swartins* seen yesterday.

Rob P

* Handy term for small, fast, black, summer-visitor bird flying too high to actually identify.

[seanxair]

Swallows arrived here yesterday. Two days later than previous two years. Lockdown in Europe restricting travel I suppose

[skydriller]

Saw the "swartins" here over the weekend. I like that word.

Edit: Just been corrected from over my shoulder...

[johnm]

Rural Gloucestershire is delightful, but not really consolation for the planned trip to Alderney with family (should have arrived yesterday) .

I'm still one degree under so we're salading rather than BBQ and our two children and grandchildren are resident at my daughter's house near Brooklands where there's a decent garden so at least my son isn't cooped up in his flat and daughter has some supplementary childcare.

The wildlife is doing what it does, the iris collections are coming into bloom.

If you can mail order or click and collect plants please do so many nurseries are desperate, but make sure it's UK stuff not the Dutch industrial junk which (with all due respect to FD) is mostly mislabelled carp.

[Flyin'Dutch']

If you can mail order or click and collect plants please do so many nurseries are desperate, but make sure it's UK stuff not the Dutch industrial junk which (with all due respect to FD) is mostly mislabelled carp.

UK grown plants and flowers are as rare as UK caught fish.

Sorry.

[Bill McCarthy]

The “fish van” arrived this morning as usual - 6 haddock for £10 - and FD, they are caught by our deep sea boats out of Scrabster. They can’t get the catches to Spain though - that’s why fish are rock bottom prices.

[johnm]

If you can mail order or click and collect plants please do so many nurseries are desperate, but make sure it's UK stuff not the Dutch industrial junk which (with all due respect to FD) is mostly mislabelled carp.

UK grown plants and flowers are as rare as UK caught fish.

Sorry.

They tend to be specialised and quite small. A few examples from West of England and East Angular, there's lots more. I happen to know these because they do irises but they do many other things as well in most cases:

https://shop.chailey-iris.co.uk/index.php

http://www.miserdennursery.co.uk/

https://www.woottensplants.com/

http://www.thegobbettnursery.co.uk/home.html

https://www.irises.co.uk/

[PeteSpencer]

Our local nursery has switched totally to mail order but is a smallish family business and has been totally overwhelmed by orders.

They finally rang today to take payment for a delivery I ordered online a week ago. Meanwhile 'er indoors seedlings are withering and drooping.

S'gonna be a race against time.

Peter

[lobstaboy]

Well I was fretting about the lateness of the swallows in this corner of Norfolk. Seems they may not be going to make it
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ver-greece

[Charliesixtysix]

Not all doom and gloom, lots must have made it through as House and Sand Martins have been arriving here in reasonable numbers over the last few days.

One real positive to take from this strange time is how nice it is to crop walk and hear nature rather than traffic.

[PeteSpencer]

Of course my avatar here might be the reason for the dearth of house martins chez S



Peter

[Ridders]

Pete, is that your “Ah, Mr Bond, We have been expecting you” pose?



One of our trees has blossomed for the couple of days It does every year, it’s now back to just a green’un.
Isn’t nature beautiful?