Bats, bees, crickets and flowers

Nonea obtusifolia, a member of the borage family. The white 'pustules' on the leaves are normal and not pathological. Picture taken today in the water course in gazelle field.

Husband noticed honeybees today, sipping from rosemary blooms along the snake path. There were also a couple of bats hunting over the north valley trail around dusk. My 13 year old son also noted seeing bats lately.

No surprise that the tortoise had moved on. There was just a compressed dimple in the grass where he'd been and he'd obviously trundled off somewhere.. I looked briefly around but didn't find.

Blackbirds singing in the pines, stone curlews ululating calls from the direction of the bat cave and beyond, both just at nightfall. We had sat for a while to watch and listen. A Eurasian sparrowhawk had made a few passes over the valley and husband was waiting for a chance to photograph it at closer range but we soon lost enough light for that project, and simply enjoyed listening to the birds.. and spotting those bats. Eurasian jays about in the almonds again, several pairs of laughing doves at crumb corner, feral pigeons and hooded crows also aloft.

Gazelle field is beginning to bloom. We saw a few tiny bright orange composite flowers as well as a simple 5? petalled small purple job, both of which we'd noticed last season. That's another two species pronounced 'safe' from fire damage. One more, a beautiful blue member of the borage family growing down in the side of the water channel near the almonds & hawthorn, also noticed it last season also not far from this location. Pic above.

Heading home we heard crickets stridulating, so they're back in action too.. there's a definite feeling of spring now!