Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Felixstowe Group

We thought that spring had finally arrived and then the shock of the icy blast at Easter brought us back down to Earth. The daffodils and primroses are tough enough to withstand the cold winds, but the blossom is soon blown away.

We have lots of blackbirds in the garden fighting for their territories and a goldcrest is singing his high-pitched song at the top of the trees. Last year I was lucky to see a parent feeding four fledglings which were lined up on a branch just above where I was weeding. There are lots of the usual blue tits and great tits but also long-tailed tits and a coal tit singing most days. A constant companion when I am gardening is a robin. There is also a regular pair in the Spa gardens where we sit after a walk; they appear suddenly and wait for biscuit crumbs. The lesser black-backed gulls are returning and make a lot of noise while sitting on the roof in the morning waiting to be fed. They fight with the herring gulls and can be quite vicious.

The hedgehogs are visiting again and love the mealworms I put out in the evening. Any that are left are soon eaten by the blackbirds. Unfortunately, again this year, I have no frog spawn in the pond but a friend is going to let me have some from his pond.

I have been emptying one of the compost bins with care as I always hope to find a slowworm. These are legless lizards and not a type of snake as is sometimes thought, I did find one once but that was a long time ago. The compost is teeming with all sorts of creepy crawlies which break down the weeds and grass cuttings into wonderful mulch to enrich the soil and help to keep weeds down. The birds love going through it all hoping to find a juicy meal. Remember that wildlife comes in all shapes and sizes!

Jenny Bugg