Spring at Blackford Pond

It was a dull but dry morning today (it started raining at lunchtime) and we wandered over to Blackford Pond, hoping to see some toads (six years ago the pond was full of toads, but we've never seen them like that again!). We didn't see any toads or frogs, but there was plenty of frogspawn

There were also three herons, which seemed intent on hunting frogs

Four moorhens were fighting, which was pretty amazing to watch, they grappled each other with their feet then pulled their tails right up to display the white and black feathers. They were too far away for our cameras to catch!

The mallards were more amenable to being photographed, in fact this pair were happy to pose. I think they expected food in return, but we didn't have anything for them.

There were lots of other birds around too, including mute swans (who have a nest on the island in the middle of the pond)

Nice also to see marsh marigolds in bloom

and coltsfoot too