Yesterday was my first day back at Scrag after a trip, leading a group, to India.
It couldn't have been a better day to come back with bright, spring sunshine and 15 degrees.  There were the first brimstone butterflies patrolling the woodland edges in search of a mate and their larval foodplant, purging buckthorn.
Flowers are out too, with violets, lesser celandine and large clumps of primrose.
I checked under the reptile refuges, hoping for slow worms, grass-snake or even adders, but unfortunately only found a bank vole.
While checking one of the owl boxes a dog-fox ran straight past me, within 10m or so.  The wind was from the east so he was oblivious of me.  I also found an area of disturbed earth where a vixen had a litter last year; unfortunately, last year, she moved them, but I shall keep an eye on the site for developments as the earth looks freshly disturbed.