A bright sunny and remarkably mild morning greeted us at Ichenor. The birds were singing the trees were in bud, one bush was even starting to show leaves! It felt that winter was at last loosing it’s grip.

Along the winding bunny just past the sailing club that leads out to the channel were some wigeon sunning themselves accompanied by a few curlew and the odd redshank. It was low tide, on the vast area of mud to the west of Ichenor were some Shelduck enjoying the fresh water coming out of the land drains and oystercatchers pecking at the mud.

Looking so bright in the sunshine were a line of yachts well secured in mud berths. Safely behind a bank of mud they’d be snug in the wildest of winter storms; the traditional (and cost effective!) way of keeping a boat over winter.

On the road close to the pond were bright splashes of yellow where a few early flowering daffodils had come out; well in advance of most. Nearby were thick clumps of snowdrops and more bright colours of primrose and crocus; so different from the past few months!