Ilkley Baptist

I saw the first wheatear of the year near Backstone Beck on the moor today, a happy sight. Things are much more advanced than last year. I heard a chiffchaff on the second of April this year. On holiday after Easter I saw a swallow near Birmingham on the eighth, and hawthorn in flower on the Somerset levels on the eleventh.

Last year hawthorn round Ilkley was mostly not in flower until the very last week of May. I haven't seen any out yet, this year, but if the weather remains as warm as it has been I would expect to see some before April is over. Last year swifts arrived in early May, again I'm hoping to see them before the month's end.