It has been a lovely few days. We have a little time off and are enjoying the lovely weather. On Thursday we went to Whipsnade Zoo – I will be posting the photos from that trip in a few days’ time. Today I mainly lazed about, but the weather was too good not to go out at all, so I went out with my camera.

I saw my first butterfly in my local wildlife park today. I saw some yellow butterflies in Banstead Woods the other day, but this was the first locally to my home.

I noticed that there was quite a bit of life in the pond already as well. I saw this bundle of black and thought they would be tadpoles, but wondering whether it was a little early. When I looked through my zoom I saw they were actually newt larvae (newtpoles?). I saw an adult as well, but it was too deep under water to photograph.

Of course some of the usual suspects were around as well, such as a squirrel, and a wood pigeon:

When I went out later, the sun was off the pond and the ‘newtpoles’ were nowhere to be seen, but just as I was about to go, I caught these two toads canoodling!

Anyway, it was pretty clear today that spring has well and truly started!