Saw three tiny baby moorhens for the first time on a family jaunt to Rother Valley Country Park near Sheffield. Unlike other baby birds they weren't brown/stripey, but tiny carbon copies of their parents with black fluffy feathers and red beaks 🥹
The beautiful puffy pink and white blossom starting to drop and be scattered in the wind like nature's confetti.
The sentinel robin sitting high on top of the fir tree in my parents' glorious garden, singing it's heart out for hours on end.
I came across a parade of the tiniest mallard ducklings following mum to water. She hopped down the bank and they tentatively started to make their way across a fallen tree stump before losing their balance and plopping down into the water one by one. None worse off for their adventure.
Hope you’re feeling better soon Lia. We were in southern Italy this week and one of the highlights for me was walking from the railway station to the bus stop in a small coastal town, turning a corner on a very ordinary street and finding the air absolutely full of the scent of orange blossom from the trees lining road.
I'm sure nature is flowering earlier too but as though desperately begging for water! Our bay tree is abundant with blossom! The likes of which I've never noticed before. There seem to be absolutely throngs of white dead nettle flowers and I saw a glorious stinking hellebore in full bloom this week. The formerly dwindling forget me nots in our "lawn" are also back though 🙂, a tender reminder of loved ones lost too soon 🩵
I agree that nature seems to be begging for water. Where I live we‘ve already had a first forest fire and the river Rhine is at a record low level, I have no idea what it‘ll be like in the summer.
Picking hot, blackened bits of halloumi off the first barbecue of the year. And watching new cherry blossoms open every day, fluffy, resplendent, glorious
Baby blackbirds in the garden, following the adult around to be fed, and a rabble of robin chicks hopping about. Bluebells are on the edge, not quite out but any minute now…
The poplar leaves, so new and thin and shiny, it left sacred, touching something so newly born.
the newly planted crab apples trees on the green outside my house are flowering for the first time.
Sadly I fear the tadpoles in my pond have not survived all the sun and lack of rain while I was in Scotland, the marsh marigolds have drunk all the water...
A definite green unfurling, brightening a rather overcast week. My white lilac, which usually graces my early May birthday posy, is already in flower - like a mid April sparkle of frost. The ground is so thirsty, and so I hope these dull days finally bring a few showers. (And of course break to more sunshine!) Kate Bradbury (wonderful Almanac contributor) is preparing for a drought year, so harvest water and mulch friends! Get well soon Lia.
Cycling up the Middlewood Way (Cheshire), 50 shades of green unfurling., and birdsong a plenty. Will have to come back when the yellow flag iris open, it’ll be a stunning display.
Trimmed the scruffy old fern fronds back to find new ones waiting, curled up, in their own brown woolly coats.
Could also hear Mr Blackbird singing from the top of the nearest Oak. Grandad’s voice, ringing in my head, “They must be nesting nearby”. To find it’s my garden they’ve chosen!
We went for a glorious walk and the woods were bursting life. Carpets of wildflowers, bluebells windflowers blossom and alive with birdsong. Not sure my dog appreciated it as much as we did but it was life affirming and joyous.
I have also noticed those pretty lime green little gifts of oak leaves and flowers scattered on the ground. The oaks are such a lovely light, bright green at the moment. I have also been enjoying the pretty white blackthorn blossom which seems to be everywhere!
Saw three tiny baby moorhens for the first time on a family jaunt to Rother Valley Country Park near Sheffield. Unlike other baby birds they weren't brown/stripey, but tiny carbon copies of their parents with black fluffy feathers and red beaks 🥹
The beautiful puffy pink and white blossom starting to drop and be scattered in the wind like nature's confetti.
The sentinel robin sitting high on top of the fir tree in my parents' glorious garden, singing it's heart out for hours on end.
Baby moorhens are like new ones "fresh out of the packet"aren't they? 🙂
reminds me of baby guinea pigs, the same vibe!
They are, I don't think I've ever seen them before. So cute!
And they buzz around on the water as if the batteries are stuck in the on position.
Love that - natures confetti!
I came across a parade of the tiniest mallard ducklings following mum to water. She hopped down the bank and they tentatively started to make their way across a fallen tree stump before losing their balance and plopping down into the water one by one. None worse off for their adventure.
A parade of tiny mallard ducklings! What a wonderful sighting.
Hope you’re feeling better soon Lia. We were in southern Italy this week and one of the highlights for me was walking from the railway station to the bus stop in a small coastal town, turning a corner on a very ordinary street and finding the air absolutely full of the scent of orange blossom from the trees lining road.
absolutely NOTHING like it!.
sometimes I linger in the garden centre getting my fix of the scent there
I'm sure nature is flowering earlier too but as though desperately begging for water! Our bay tree is abundant with blossom! The likes of which I've never noticed before. There seem to be absolutely throngs of white dead nettle flowers and I saw a glorious stinking hellebore in full bloom this week. The formerly dwindling forget me nots in our "lawn" are also back though 🙂, a tender reminder of loved ones lost too soon 🩵
My bay tree too, I’ve never seen it like that before, so much blossom!
I agree that nature seems to be begging for water. Where I live we‘ve already had a first forest fire and the river Rhine is at a record low level, I have no idea what it‘ll be like in the summer.
It's a worry Alina. Not in Ireland though, they have had a deluge this week 😊; hopefully our turn soon 🙏🏻.
Outside in the glorious green, all the trees busy leaving; indoors in the lengthening dusk, sneezing.
Picking hot, blackened bits of halloumi off the first barbecue of the year. And watching new cherry blossoms open every day, fluffy, resplendent, glorious
Love your pebbles. Expect you know that if it came from the south coast the one with the hole in is lucky. Get well soon.
All hag stones are lucky no matter where they came from. 😊
Didn’t realise they were called hag stones. I have one somewhere, I’m going to find it 😊
Baby blackbirds in the garden, following the adult around to be fed, and a rabble of robin chicks hopping about. Bluebells are on the edge, not quite out but any minute now…
The poplar leaves, so new and thin and shiny, it left sacred, touching something so newly born.
the newly planted crab apples trees on the green outside my house are flowering for the first time.
Sadly I fear the tadpoles in my pond have not survived all the sun and lack of rain while I was in Scotland, the marsh marigolds have drunk all the water...
I hope you feel better soon Lia.
A definite green unfurling, brightening a rather overcast week. My white lilac, which usually graces my early May birthday posy, is already in flower - like a mid April sparkle of frost. The ground is so thirsty, and so I hope these dull days finally bring a few showers. (And of course break to more sunshine!) Kate Bradbury (wonderful Almanac contributor) is preparing for a drought year, so harvest water and mulch friends! Get well soon Lia.
Cycling up the Middlewood Way (Cheshire), 50 shades of green unfurling., and birdsong a plenty. Will have to come back when the yellow flag iris open, it’ll be a stunning display.
There are dandelions everywhere and bees in the white bells of three cornered leek.
Trimmed the scruffy old fern fronds back to find new ones waiting, curled up, in their own brown woolly coats.
Could also hear Mr Blackbird singing from the top of the nearest Oak. Grandad’s voice, ringing in my head, “They must be nesting nearby”. To find it’s my garden they’ve chosen!
You are so right about the woodlands this week.
We went for a glorious walk and the woods were bursting life. Carpets of wildflowers, bluebells windflowers blossom and alive with birdsong. Not sure my dog appreciated it as much as we did but it was life affirming and joyous.
I have also noticed those pretty lime green little gifts of oak leaves and flowers scattered on the ground. The oaks are such a lovely light, bright green at the moment. I have also been enjoying the pretty white blackthorn blossom which seems to be everywhere!
Get well soon! I'm sure things are flowering earlier too - must start properly keeping track so I can know for sure next year...
Spotting tadpoles in a pond in the City of London has been my highlight of the week!
I think the cloud artist is Holly Loader by the way - gorgeous. Love the painting of you as well.
Ah thank you yes that’s right!