Spring for a Day

After a week of overcast days, often with long spells of fine rain, Saturday 14th April 2018 was much warmer, clear and bright after a misty start. Lesser Celandine and Wood Anemone were in full flower and seemed to be more vigorous, covering larger areas than in previous springs, perhaps because the plants have remained dormant for longer. Blackthorn blossom is prolific too this year.

Lesser Celandine 14th April 2018

Traditionally thought of as the herald of Spring as it is usually one of the first flowers to appear - towards the end of February in our warm southern land.

Some observations in a few minutes just walking along the banks:

A grey heron flying slowly over the river and above it, two circling buzzards.

Nuthatch calls carried far along the river, two birds communicating with each other, whilst song thrushes, at least three could be heard singing from different locations.

A male blackcap was singing a fine song very close by, at first completely obscured in a dense Blackthorn thicket. Moving gradually around, I had a very clear view of it near the top of a branch

surrounded by blossom where it continued to sing. Across the river, amongst the grassy clumps, a green woodpecker yaffled, and in the distance a great-spotted woodpecker could be heard signal-drumming.

Blackbirds were now singing full songs, with robins, dunnocks and wrens singing too, voices carrying far through the leaf-bare riverside. Soon their voices will be baffled by leaf growth. Great tits

and chiffchaffs called tirelessly and male house sparrows sang loudly, to be heard by birds perhaps in a neighbouring colony.   

Another flower usually seen in early spring is the Wood Anemone but although the flower buds appeared in March, this year it is flowering only now, as the sun appears through the bare branches of the old oaks:

Wood Anemone flowering under an old oak on the river bank 14th April 2018.

It is important to remember that this is a sure sign of ancient woodland and the plants confine themselves to the same areas, roots creeping extremely slowly year on year.