One of 2 mallard families on the river. Lots of ragged looking parent bird so expect the garden to full of baby birds soon

Spring is in the air. Native daffodils, primroses, violets, lesser celandine and best of all curlews calling.

Light dusting of snow but a ground frost making everything sparkle. Along not much more than a mile of the river Kent I saw: 8 mallards, 5 dippers, 2 goosanders, 1 heron, 1 little egret, 1 kingfisher, 1 little grebe, 1 moorhen and 3 otters - a truly magical walk.