What have I missed? Or have I gained...

Having been locked down, like countless others, I have missed many of my spring highlights. However, being forced to stop, slow down and restrict my movements, gave me the opportunity to watch the season evolve in a more focused way – in my own backyard. Observing the leaves unfurling as each day passed. Catching the first flowers opening and the sudden appearance of the insects they attract. The different bees and butterflies emerging with the onset of their individual flight seasons. It has been a joy to discover species that I never knew lived in my little patch, like the tiny yellow-faced bees starring back at me from the mauve flowers of chives, a ruby-tailed wasp glinting like a jewel in the sunshine as it explored the crevices of the brickwork.

Recording the dawn chorus, I was astonished by the sheer volume and abundance of song emanating from outside my bedroom window. I have watched the blackbird take his daily bath, the wren pick her way through the dogrose and fox cubs take their first outings into the wider world. And all this is in the middle of town.

Although our Pagham Harbour and Medmerry reserves are open, our visitor facilities, including the visitor centre, toilets and hides, remain closed for now with updates advised on our website www.rspb.org.uk/paghamharbour, Facebook and Twitter.

Getting back to work is a strange sensation. When lockdown was imposed I missed our wonderful and increasingly important nature reserves, finding solace in my own little green space and the gardens surrounding us – something I would not normally have been afforded. Now I have returned and I am focusing on the reserve again, I cannot help but wonder what is happening in my small patch and yearn for the chance to just sit and watch the delights it holds.

Never underestimate the wild places around us, whether they are the big parks and reserves or the modest collection of pots on your patio or balcony. They are all important – to wildlife and to our wellbeing.