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Wiltshire in pictures: Sunshine and Shrove Tuesday

Patrick Cashman View of a fence between two fields and a wide view of green rolling hills with some hedges under a sunny sky with some cloud.Patrick Cashman
Sunshine and blue skies have welcomed in March in Wiltshire where a former dairy farm is being turned into a chalk grassland nature reserve

The sun came out in Wiltshire this week and the county has welcomed rare wildlife and also pancakes and spring re-openings.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Wiltshire Council have come together to start turning a farm into a nature reserve.

It is hoped Roundbarrow Farm near Firsdown in Wiltshire should attract "chalk-loving blooms, bees, butterflies and birds".

Salisbury City Council People in a city centre just starting to run over a yellow line taped to the floor in a pancake race. All hold frying pans with pancakes in them. One man is dressed in a horse costume, another man wears an apron. Spectators look on.Salisbury City Council

Flipping fun: Shrove Tuesday led to some racing in the centre of Salisbury. Raising money for the local foodbank, people competed to win the Golden Frying Pan in the pancake race.

Getty Images Four young choristers stand in a row under medieval arches with the sun shining through. All have frying pans and are mid-way through flipping pancakes.Getty Images

More pancakes: Salisbury Cathedral's trainee choristers also practiced flipping pancakes inside the cloisters of the medieval building.

Wiltshire Council A group of young people standing together, two wheelchair users, smiling at the camera. All are wearing black tie attire and are in front of a large banner saying Wiltshire Business & Sports Gala Dinner.Wiltshire Council

Encouraging future stars: businesses and organisations from around the county raised £80,400 to help local sports stars at the Wiltshire Business and Sports Gala Dinner.

National Trust/Lucy Fenna Close-up of the top of a linen-style v-necked overcoat with two buttons on a mannequin. It is in a room from a stately home with gold-framed pictures on the walls.National Trust/Lucy Fenna

Austen influence: Stourhead House near Warminster reopens this weekend and has a new exhibition which includes the costume worn by Matthew Macfadyen in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice and a replica dress worn by Kiera Knightley from the same film.

Close-up of purple crocus flowers with the sun shining through the petals. One sits at the forefront, a sea of other flowers are behind it.

Sparks of spring: Flowers are poking through as winter fades. Crocuses at Swindon's Old Town Gardens are among the colourful displays.

Braemar Lodge care home A group of elderly care home residents sitting inside - one sits next to a staff member as they hold a large charity cheque.Braemar Lodge care home

Foodbank fundraiser: The sale of craft items made by care home residents, donated gifts and having a garden party has raised nearly £1,500 for Salisbury's foodbank. Residents and team members at Braemar Lodge in the city chose it as their main charity for the past year.

Longleat A black and white night camera shot showing a low tree branch with a dormouse in view. Longleat

Wildlife spotting: Excitement at Longleat Safari Park this week was caused by the estate's own wildlife rather than the safari animals. A rare hazel dormouse was caught on camera finding food.

LDRS Trestle tables with noticeboards on them - different artworks on all sizes of canvas are pinned to the boards and lean against the tables.LDRS

More than words: An exhibition at Wiltshire Council's headquarters in Trowbridge of more than 100 artworks showed some of the feelings of domestic abuse survivors.

Put together with the help of several organisations working in the county using art therapy, it include paintings, drawings and poems.

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