Suggestions of Spring

It is that tantalising time of year when we can all too easily be seduced into thinking that one welcome day of milder temperatures and golden sunshine spells the start of Spring, only to have our hopes dashed the next day with a return to penetrating, cold winds and rain. It was therefore frustrating when one of the aforementioned Springlike days, last Tuesday, coincided with prearranged appointments, however we managed to snatch an hour or so to visit a small, local lake. The wild and unforgiving cold winds which we had experienced day after day, for what seemed much longer than the five days they actually lasted, had gone and the sun had put in a much needed appearance.

'Spring is coming ! spring is coming
Infant leaves are on the trees;
And the little birds are humming

Songs upon the pleasant breeze'

(Mrs. C. H. Waterman Esling)

How lovely it was to be greeted by the sight of Snowdrops... lots of them... some growing in drifts as far as the eye could see!

Snowdrops

'The little snowdrop comes
To herald in the spring,
In robe of spotless white,
With hope upon its wing.'

(Ann Stuart Thompson)

I have never seen any particularly unusual birds there but always think it a shame that the more familiar species are overlooked by many of us because they are familiar; if, for instance, we had never seen a Mallard before, surely we couldn't fail to be delighted by such a striking and entertaining bird!

Mallard Ducks

I think the same is true of the Moorhen with its comical feet and bold red frontal shield.

Moorhen

A Moorhen incubating eggs was observed by scientists, during heavy rain, covering itself with a sheet of polythene and then removing it once the rain had stopped!

~~~

In addition to the Snowdrops it was a delight to find another cheerful flower which I have always loved, the colourful Winter Aconite, a member of the Buttercup family, whose flowers open only while the sun is shining.

Winter Aconites

'Oh, the New-year's Gift a welcome flower!
For she gladdens the gloom of the wintry hour.
When a brief gleam of sunshine dissolves the first snow,
It is pleasant to gaze on her beautiful glow ;
At a time when no object in nature looks bright,
Save the golden hue of the Aconite.'

(Agnes Strickland)

I often hear (but rarely see) woodpeckers during visits to the lake but on this occasion there was no sign of one, however I will slip in a (poor) photo of one I saw there in November which I didn't get round to posting.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

There are always plenty of Great Tits to be seen there.

Great Tit

The song of the Great Tit has been found to change in noise polluted urban areas. Where there is low frequency background noise pollution, their song has a higher frequency than it does in quieter areas!

There is usually a Robin singing its little heart out to accompany our walk.

Robin

Sweet bird, on yonder leafless spray,
What means that song so blithe, so gay ?

(Anon)

~~~

The land which adjoins the lake is part of the estate of a manor house and has parkland which houses Red Deer. While not as exciting to see as the Roe Deer I recorded on an earlier post which were living totally in the wild it is still lovely to see these beautiful animals. Due to there being unsightly scaffolding on the house last week the following two photos were again taken during our visit in November but are a portrayal of what we saw last week without the unsightly metalwork.

Red Deer

How can anyone even contemplate killing magnificent creatures such as these for pleasure?



Finally I saw these Daffodils in bud, another sign that Spring is just around the corner.

Daffodils

I hope Spring is just around the corner where you live too... Enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.