Now it's lighter in the morning, we've resumed our daily walk to our field to do bramble cutting etc. - a bit of exercise to counteract the winter flab and too much sitting at the computer desk!

Today, when I'd done my stint, I walked back to the house across this field, though the uncultivated sloping corner behind the bit you can see here. I startled a flock of skylarks. We tend to think of them as more or less solitary birds, but in the winter, they flock together, and as they don't sing till about now, I guess they often get overlooked as anonymous brown birds. Anyway, I was pleased that there were at least 6 living here: they erupted into the air trilling and twittering, with their characteristically erratic flight.

Later on, two were high in the sky singing - glorious!

After a wonderfully carefree day off yesterday, it was rather a blow to hear that a case of bluetongue has been identified near Poole, so Dorset (just 1.5 miles from here) is now a "protection zone".

Of course, the sunny weather is a big worry for farmers, as there have been a lot of midges coaxed out of hibernation by the warmth. It has always been said that there'll be a race this spring between availability of the vaccine and the taking hold of the disease in England. It seems as if the midges may have scored the first goal, sadly.

More info on the BBC news site.

Today was the day when I decided to "Carpe Diem" - after weeks of crouching over the computer at work, we went to Wheddon Cross on Exmoor to see the Snowdrop Valley on a glorious sunny day. And I was so glad we did.

It was quite early when we got there, and the mist was still clearing from the woods.

Following the path next to the River Avill, we saw carpets of these lovely white flowers all along the way. By now, a few others had arrived, and the paths were starting to fill up.

Close up, I saw some lovely red fungus on the woodland floor

and the mossy logs made a nice contrast to the bluer foliage of the flowers.

Everywhere we looked, sheets of dainty white carpeted the woodland. The wood was filling up by now, and everywhere I stopped, someone was waiting for me to get out of his photo!

One last view as we got back to the road, ready for the long walk back up to Wheddon, where we had a nice cuppa, cake and a sit down in the Village Hall.

(We left just in time to miss the coach-load of screeching children in fluorescent tabards who arrived - like a flock of parakeets - to spoil the breathless calm of the valley.)

The last few sunny days have really been wonderful. Last week, I heard the first lark singing (which I'll now be able to hear every day for months!). This morning, the arable field behind the garden was alive with the noisy chatter of a huge flock of fieldfares - winter visitors of the thrush family, very gregarious and with a distinctive starling-like call. This rather weedy photo shows just a few flying past in the distance: the light wings are very characteristic.

In the garden, the primroses are really getting going, and we also have a few snowdrops. I thought they looked lovely with the dew on.

Two cock pheasants apparently enjoying the view over our back fence, after taking their fill of poultry corn first thing this morning.

Much better than yesterday, when the wind was so strong that all the loose grain blew away, and the small birds spent the whole day hiding in trees and shrubs instead of foraging.