I looked out of the kitchen window the other day into an open area that is called a carport or an open garage depending upon your fancy, to where we feed a stray cat that has adopted us. But I could see a large light brown furry bottom and a bushy tail; not the usual tabby tom 'backside'. It was a young dog fox polishing off the remains of the food we had put out for the cat, who, having had his fill had left some food on the plate. Di' went into photographic mode and spent the next 2 minutes snapping away at the animal's rear end. He eventually finished licking the smell from the plate and wandered off down the garden. As we were going out, we left the house and found the fox sitting in the middle of the lawn showing very little fear, and politely regarding us. We, and the fox looked at each other for another minute before we left to do our shopping. Until I had gone to the car I did not know what it's sex was but once outside the familiar musty smell of the dog was in the air. It was still slight in build, I guess a late cub from last year and during our looking at each other it had a good scratch (fleas at a guess).
The first Cuckoo I have heard this year finally made itself known at 6.30 am with the familiar call. I have rarely seen them in flight, the recognising feature being a slightly wedge shaped tail nearly as long as it's body; on one occasion it emitted a forlorn 'cuckoo'. The wife heard one two days earlier of course.
  There seem to be plenty of herons flying around this year and if we don't see them we hear the drawn out 'squaaaaawk'. They look a large ponderous bird but on one occasion I saw one in flight turn a sharp right angle to change direction.

Spring Butterflies
Brimstone Yellow
This butterfly over winters, hibernating in Ivy leaves. Being shaped like a leaf giving it some protection from predators. They emerge in early spring to feed on primrose, pollinating them at the same time but they will also take nectar from any wild flowers that are out at the time. The brimstone's eggs are laid on Buckthorn and Alder, this being the caterpillar's food source. They are green, blending in well with the leaves; the green chrysalis looks exactly like a leaf, attaching itself to the twig by a silk thread. They are mostly seen in April and May.
Orange Tip
These adults usually appear in May and June. They live for about eighteen days producing only one generation a year. Only the male has orange tips to its wings. The females are white with black tips to the wings. They can be confused with the larger white as they look similar but the orange tip female is much smaller. The caterpillars eat a variety of food, creeping cress, cuckoo flower, bitter cress, wild turnip, garlic mustard and members of the cabbage family.
Holly Blue
The caterpillars feed on Holly blossom in the spring and ivy blossom in the autumn and consequently are seen at these times. They are beautiful small blue butter flies that make a welcome addition to the garden.
Small Tortoiseshell
This butterfly lives through the winter, as a butterfly, often hiding in corners of a garage or outhouse that is not damp, becoming active in mid March and laying their eggs in May. This generation is seen in June and July and it is the third generation born in August/September that over winters to emerge again the following spring. The caterpillars are nettle eaters, several of them spinning a silk web over the growing tips of several leaves.
Peacocks
The Peacock has large eyes on its wings to frighten predators. It also opens and shuts its wings when under attack which makes a frightening noise. It is seen in late spring and early summer. The hairy caterpillars eat nettles. The Autumn seen adults hibernate through the winter on ceilings or in corners of sheds and may come into houses looking for suitable sites, and emerge in the warmer weather to breed. They love visiting buddleia, ice plants and rotting fruit.