April 2025 - A Seasonal Diary
A seasonal diary of nature spots and little moments
“April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks, ‘Go!”
Hello April
The difference the weather makes ey, it’s been a doors open, walk across the kitchen rug in relatively dry boots kind of month. A rare one in this part of the world. Can all April’s be like this one please? Oh and Woodpeckers! I ended my March journal thinking i’d finished all the birds only to remember in the middle of the night I forgot the ruddy woodpeckers! Nearly done though, nearly done.
“I'm tired” I said, “Can I sit down Teddy and do some sketching?” “Yes mummy of course we'll fetch you food!” (Of the plastic variety that has to be pretend munched immediately under the staring preschool gaze and commented upon with compliments to the chef of course). A special moment none the less of rest and sketching and watching the boys play. The dove now sitting upon her precarious nest on the pergola started calling her mate and i worried maybe he wouldn’t come to feed her whilst we were there. She kept on calling though and eventually I spotted him on the fence and he slowly made his way over the roof and swapped over with her. Off she flew to sustain herself and thus my first bit of bird knowledge was acquired purely through my own observation. I assumed he brought her food, he does not, they take turns in sitting.
BERYL
Spent a lovely afternoon listening to the chiff chaff and admiring the wild cherry blossom whilst painting in the Forgotten Wood. It feels like winter has well and truly waved goodbye.
IN THE GARDEN
Squash are growing nicely, I yearn for a proper walk-in greenhouse. I saved last years sweetpea seeds and the germination has been extremely disappointing. Could not find the motivation to fight with cosmos in our pathetic greenhouse so just grabbed all my seeds and thrown them chaos style in one of the beds.
BIRDS
11th April - Swallows arrive
Reed buntings
Yellow hammer
Yellow wagtail
Corn bunting
All seem to be loving the bright yellow mass of rape flowers near the cliff top field.
Coal tit visiting feeders
Watched the sand or house martins diving in and out of the rape, a red kite hovering so close
Watched a willow warbler taking feathers to its nest
Made a garden bird feeder after finding out I shouldn’t hang my feeders below my blue tits nest box, it seems fairly obvious now, what a silly lady.
EASTER
A STOMACH BUG - Can you believe it, lucky for me I seem to have dodged it but one by one it has wiped out the whole family, grandparents and cousins included.
Whilst poorly boys were preoccupied with grandparents I snuck out and spent half an hour in a local nature reserve. Cuckoo flowers; white throat and blackcap singing
April In Watercolour
Stories from the studio, a little glimpse into my watercolour creations from this month…
What has April been like for you? Have you seen anything out in nature that’s made you smile or just peeked your interest? I would love to know, tell me in the comments below...
