Friday, 9 April 2010

Sun works

A very warm and sunny day brought out loads of wildlife: in the morning I saw a 'white' butterfly as I was driving along, then I saw a pair of buzzards circling overhead. An evening walk to the hedgerow brought new flowers:

Common Dog Violet - Viola riviniana:

Masses of Wood Sorrel, showing their delicately purple-veined insides:


And the Barren Strawberry - Potentilla sterilis:

I also noticed bud-break on Willows and Hawthorn, so we're well on our way, now.

2 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

You are further on with Spring than we are here in North Yorkshire - our violets are nothing like out, but everywhere is peppered with celandine and the marsh marigolds are out in profusion on the beck. Cow parsley is showing deep green cushions along the road sides - I love it when it is in flower as it absolutely lines our lane.
I see the wood anemones are out in the copse on our land, and one or two bluebells - so, as your rightly say, we are well on our way. Can't come soon enough.

Stuart said...

How interesting. I don't expect to see Marsh Marigolds for a fortnight yet, and our Bluebells are just showing leaves. I expect the Wood Anemones will be almost out down by the river, so I'll check over the weekend. Celandines are certainly making hedgerows, ditches and verges yellow now. I'd expect to see Swallows feeding down near the river, too. Cow Parsley is also making green cushions....look for its leaf-miner from now on. Check for pale tracks just inside the zig-zag edge of the leaves.

I have to say that April and May are my favourite months of the year....so much energy bursting forth. By July it's almost all over bar the fruit and seeds.