Preening

One of the more obvious signs of Spring comes from the local bird life which at the moment, are spending more and more time sorting out their plumage, in readiness for the mating season.  On our walk this morning, we were treated to the sight of several of the waterfowl engaged in this very act.  One Coot was being particularly careful with his toilet.

Coots (Fulica atra) are well known in the UK with around 31,000 breeding pairs around the country.  Their numbers are swelled in the Winter, by a continental influx to around 190,000 individuals.

A member of the Rail family, they are related to Moorhens and lack the usual webbed feet of most waterfowl.  Instead, they have fleshy lobes along the length of each toe, which gives them a strange, big-footed appearance.  This individual was having a good time preening and making sure that not a feather was left out of place.

On the other side of the lake, a Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) was doing much the same thing in the sunshine. When the 'wash and brush-up' was done, it looked stunning, back-lit.

More Snowdrops

Just a couple of pictures from our walk this morning.  Both pictures were taken on Shipley Hill and feature the wonderful display of Snowdrops.  No apologies for having posted a good number of Snowdrop photos already, they are just too beautiful to ignore.

Carpets of Snowdrops cover the woodland floor, interspersed with clumps of Daffodil shoots waiting for their turn to shine.

As usual for a Sunday, it was 'busy' walk this morning with too many other people about to enjoy a peaceful walk.  So it was back home again before the rain set in again.

Spring

I have already mentioned the wonderful display of Snowdrops which are currently adorning the woods around Shipley Hill.  This morning's walk took in a lot more.  In places, they carpet the ground at the base of the trees.

In many more places, the Snowdrops clump together in smaller groups, dotted among the leaf litter.

It all looks like Spring has sprung, although we are only too aware that things could still take a turn for the worse.  If last year's weather taught us anything, it is that there is still plenty of time to be caught out and for us to be plunged into arctic conditions.  So we're taking nothing for granted yet.  Having said that, we are not the only ones feeling optimistic about the onset of Spring.  On our walk this morning, we saw no fewer than ELEVEN Buzzards circling around and displaying to each other.  Two pairs were seen soaring around Shipley Hill, a group of three buzzards circled around close to Shipley Lake and then another group of four were seen drifting around above our estate as we headed for home.  Also on Shipley Lake, a pair of Great-crested Grebes were seen displaying to each other, dancing and head-shaking, until a third Grebe came along to put a stop to all that!
In addition to the Snowdrops, the Daffodils are also now beginning to make a bit of a splash among the woodland.  Still rather few in number, they nevertheless appear with a promise of more to come.

Sloe

Our walk this morning, revealed the very welcome sight of the Blackthorn trees beginning to show their delightful blossom.

Last year, we were well in to March before we started to see these harbingers of spring - and even then, the few flowers which appeared, were quickly nipped off by late frosts and snow. What a difference a year makes!  This year, despite the dreadful, wet winter we have had, everything seems to be bursting into spring much earlier and the Blackthorn is among the best and most colourful of them.

Blackthorn or Sloe (Prunus spinosa) is a native plant to the UK and can be found almost anywhere in the country.  Frequently planted to form hedging to keep livestock at bay, the tangled and rather thorny branches are perfect for this task.

Later in the year, the Blackthorn will produce lots of small, purple fruits - actually called drupes - which we know as Sloes.  Resembling a tiny plum, they are rather bitter to eat fresh, but picked, cut and mixed with gin, they make a traditional - and rather nice - drink, perfect for seeing off the worst of the winter weather!  But for now, lets just enjoy the beautiful blossom.

Snowdrops

The bulbous little plants we know as Snowdrops, have the scientific name Galanthus nivalis. This comes from the Greek Gala (meaning 'milk') and Anthos (meaning 'flower').  Nivalis means 'of the snow', so the plants are well named 'Milk-flowers of the snow'.  Snowdrop, is much less of a mouthful.
Our walk in the sunshine this morning, took us up Shipley Hill and around the gardens and woods at the top and it is here, that the Snowdrop spectacle is at its best right now.

For such a 'traditional' plant in the UK, we often think of it as a native species, but it was probably introduced to these islands in the sixteenth century.  The name 'Snowdrop' first appeared in print in the UK in 1633 and is probably a derrivation of the German word 'Schneetropfen' which was a popular kind of ear-ring in those times.

Snowdrops contain an active chemical called galantamine, which is of some use in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.  All of this is interesting, but when faced with an early Spring display of these little beauties, you just have to forget all that and just stand and stare.

We did quite a lot of standing and staring this morning.  Maybe Spring is on it's way and after all the rain we've had, it's nice to see the ground just beginning to dry out a bit.

Shoots

Our walk along the Nutbrook Trail this morning revealed some early signs of spring.  The Blackthorns are starting to bud and it will only be few days until they are opening their blossom. But it was the Hawthorns which caught our eye, as the first green shoots are beginning to open.

Despite the knowledge that spring is just around the corner, the thick mud and puddles are a constant reminder that things are still very wet.  Still, it's good to see a few new shoots.

Gales

Once again, the UK is being lashed by gales and yet more rain.  Luckily, around our home territory, we have escaped the worst of the dreadful conditions, but the wind has still been a cause for some concern over the last few days.  This morning, things seemed to have quietened down a little, so we set out for a brief walk before the rain started again.  It soon became clear that the wind was still a force to be reckoned with and as we arrived at our destination - the lake at Straw's Bridge - the normally placid waters looked more like the sea.

The ducks, geese and swans were being tossed around on the waves and as each powerful gust blew across the water, they all turned in unison, to face the wind while they bobbed like corks on the surface.  At least it remained dry for our walk, but we were glad to head for home once more.