In the Garden

 It's been much warmer and brighter over the last few days.  I was concerned that I hadn't seen any Wood Anemones growing yet in the garden but all of a sudden two or three flowers have appeared hidden under a Hebe bush.

We've had some unusual visitors to the bird feeders.  The Great Spotted Woodpecker is back.  I was able to catch him for a photo last week.  It is a male as he has a red spot on back of his head.

We've had three other different birds visit recently.  Paul managed to take photos of them.

Siskin

Female Blackcap

Linnet

Newts are back in the pond and coming up to the surface now the sun is shining.

The Rhubarb is doing well.

We enjoyed the first few sticks gently stewed and served with some Greek yoghurt. 

We have now had another lot from the plants and these will be made into a Rhubarb Crumble.

I think the Comma butterfly was enjoying the Rhubarb too.  This is the first we've seen this year.  

Not long after a couple of Peacock butterflies were spotted flying over the garden, they landed on a raised bed.  A Brimstone was also seen flittering about over the garden. It was too quick for the camera though and didn't settle at all.

It's good to see so much wildlife back in the garden.

Photos from a recent Walk

It was a bit of a damp and muddy walk on Tuesday morning but it was good to be out in the fresh air.

There were lots of signs of Spring. 

Primroses and Lesser Celandines along the side of the lake and down by the river.

Daffodils

and still some Snowdrops.

 

The River was high and fast flowing

Kingfishers on the river - male and female.  

It's nesting time again.

 

All photos taken at the headquarters of the Staffordshire Wildife Trust at Wolseley Bridge.

 

This, That and Recent Reading

I've finally been able to get out and walk around the garden.  It is still very wet and there are very few signs of Spring at the moment.  Some of the shrubs seem to be suffereing from excess water, not surprising after all the rain which followed the melting snow.

 Earlier in the week on a misty morning whilst the pond was still iced over a heron came down onto the garden to take a look at the corner where the ice had been broken up with an old screw driver so that wildlife could get in or out or drink from it.  It didn't find anything of interest and soon flew off over the gardens.  What strange birds they are, quite prehistoric in looks, it certainly frightened two of the cats who were exploring the garden.

 Every morning this week we've heard the sound of geese flying over the house and this morning on our way back from an early walk we both heard and saw them as they flew over the rooftops. Just three but you would have thought there were more from the sound they made.  On our walk we had spotted a woodpecker hammering away on one of the trees by the fishing pool, it stayed there for ages.  I didn't have a camera with me! 

Above a few  hopeful signs of Spring in the garden.

Below books I've been reading and also those read and to be read

 
 Over the last week or two I've read 'The Postscript Murders' by Elly Griffiths, 'A Song for the Dark Times' by Ian Rankin and 'Secrets on the Fens' by Joy Ellis all on my Kindle and all highly enjoyable.  I've got 'A Chelsea Concerto' by Frances Faviell to look forward to.

 Borrowed from the Library on e-books via the IPad (the library doesn't loan to Kindles) I've been reading 'Ferguson's Gang' by Polly Bagnall and Sally Beck in between and around those above.  I've yet to read 'Thursday Murder Club' by Richard Osman but I do know the story as I've been listening to it serialised and read by Haydn Gwynne on BBC Sounds.  I think it is still there if you are interested in it.

Even though February is a short month this year it has seemed unusually long.  I don't want to wish time away but a few slightly warmer, sunnier days would help banish the inertia that seems to have overtaken both of us in the last couple of weeks.  Here's hoping for slightly brighter days, they surely can't be that far away.

In the Garden

In the garden Spring is beginning to make an appearance.  

Old leaves, stems and twigs have been cleared from on and around the plants.  Lawns have been trimmed and green leaves are beginning to return on trees and bushes.

There is blossom on both plum trees

The Camassias we started off in the green house were planted outside.

The next day the flowers were starting to open

Bergenia

Red Sorrell

Rhubarb

Blueberry in the pot and Goosberries in the bed.

Lungwort

Valerian

Peony

Pieris

Spirea - Bridal Wreath

Amelanchier

I love the garden at this time of year.

Early Morning Walk

Yesterday we were up and out  fairly early in the morning and when we arrived at our usual place to take a walk we were the only people there.

It was so quiet and peaceful under the trees who'd have thought it was the first day of a bank holiday weekend. 

  The woodland birds were singing their little hearts out, pheasants called from nearby fields, buzzards mewled overhead and ducks on the nearby pond sounded as if they were laughing at a coarse joke or two.

 Everything was lush and green.

 Except where it was white.

Lovely dandelion clocks were everywhere all ready for the breeze to catch and distribute their seeds or fairies as we used to call them - in fact still do!

The towpath by the canal was glorious with its soft tones of green and white

 There were many other plants to spot as we walked.  Some of them I can easily identify others I can't without the aid of a reference book.  Where I'm not sure I've put a question mark in brackets.  Any help with identification will be gratefully received.

Yellow Dead Nettle - also Yellow Archangel - thank you Ragged Robin, Mrs Tiggywinkle and John Scurr.

At first I thought 'self heal' but it isn't like the 'self heal' in our garden so now I'm not sure.   Apparently this is called Bugle - thank you John Scurr.

 Wild rhubarb - there must be another name for this but I can't find it.  I assumed the tall flowers were part of the same plant but I'm not sure. I now know that this is butterbur thanks again to John, I think somewhere in the back of my mind I'd found this out before but had completely forgotten.

 Buttercups

 Clover

 Vetch

 Wood Avens

 White Dead Nettle

 Horse Tail 

 growing at the sides of the canal towpath it looks a
very ancient looking plant.

 Ash Keys

Hogweed (?)

Rhododendron

The heat of yesterday was cleared by a storm during the night, at one point loud rain and thunder woke me up.  It is cooler and breezier today and as I type this post the rain has started again.  At least the gardens will benefit from it.