The May is well and truly out in east Northamptonshire. This line of Hawthorn bushes really caught my eye.
Isn’t it lovely?
Although, in the Lake District on Tuesday I saw plenty of Primroses, and in Lancashire yesterday, and West Yorkshire today, I saw lots of Bluebells.
Do enjoy spring, whatever stage it is at, and wherever you live.
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The weekend before last my wife and I drove down the A1 from Newcastle to London to visit our daughters. It was fascinating (if not especially surprising) to see the spring unfurling as we progressed southwards. I read somewhere that the northward progression of spring through Britain occurs at about walking speed. That would put about a week’s difference between the south of England and the north of Scotland (assuming about 4 miles per hour). I guess that would be not too far out for some indicators but quite inaccurate for others – it all depends on what your favoured spring species and events are!
Cuckoos heard at Warner’s Copse on the Clarendon Way and and Coneygeer Bottom in the New Forest.
“Our” potted flyscrapers returned today and spent hours in wheezy chat at a site meeting debating the refurbishment of their nest. Mrs C has banned all forms of Briggs & Stratton assisted grass cutting until further notice. This excellent edict will of course be rescinded in 2″ time. But – there are three PFs. I see trouble ahead …
The bluebells are well and truly over here in East Kent, but orchid season is getting into full swing with Early Spider and Lady having a great season and the Man Orchids and White Helleborines now coming out too. Nightingales are already quietening down in the daytime, and while the first Turtle Dove I had on my local sites was in April they still seem to be trickling in. But I still haven’t heard a cuckoo, seems like you have to go to a wetland site to hear one these days 🙁
Yesterday I went for a bike ride round the white roads on the OS map. I love the froth of white Cow Parsley that lines the roads and borders the green (and Yellow) fields off into the distance across the landscape.
Amongst the arable prairies, I saw a field with a big patch of Green Winged orchids and some Cowslips, it was a horse paddock, a much maligned habitat.
I referred a week or two ago to the way spring seems to quite suddenly step on the gas – well this year it seems to have floored it, spun it’s wheels and roared off into the distance, it feels like it’s almost summer here already. Even the ashes are responding. The last few days have been stunning. Hawthorn / May blossom a definite highlight, especially against a fresh blue sky, fresh oak leaves not yet munched and a singing competition this morning between a whitethroat, a song thrush and seemingly about a billion skylarks. Also had kingfisher (seen), cuckoo (heard) and a particularly exhuberant blackcap. Some of my walk to work could be changing from fields to housing estate in the next couple of years (as resident of very recent housing estate I feel suitably uncomfortable about this) but hopefully Biggleswade Common will live for ever, whatever the season.