Well, for now at least. Temperatures are set to tumble later on this week to where they should be for this time of the year. However, although it has been a delight to see nectar loving insects such as hoverflies and bumblebees taking advantage of this early food, it is almost certain that they will soon be retreating back to their nests come the weekend.
It has been a relatively mild winter with very little snow and few cold snaps which personally I find very disappointing as I like my seasons to be like they should be and typical of the time of year.
The mild conditions are very confusing for nature, on today’s walk I saw a female blackbird carrying nesting material into a bush which is some 3-4 weeks earlier than normal, I can imagine conditions will be quite challenging trying to lay and incubate eggs should the weather take a turn for the worse.
I also saw a report of a swallow being spotted along the coast in Devon yesterday, although it’s not certain whether this is an early arrival, taking advantage of the mild southerly winds or one that has overwintered here, an increasing occurrence potentially attributed to climate change.
Today’s walk was all about wildflower spotting and despite the mild conditions there was not much going on. I chose to walk along the river Aire just up from Saltaire, beyond the Rowing Club, a usual good stretch for early flowers. In a few weeks time the place will be teeming with bluebells and wood anemone but today it was all about lesser celandine. Although this plant is a typical early Spring bloomer, it is not unusual to see it flowering in February as it can also often be seen flowering as early as January.
Lesser celandine is a member of the buttercup family and has a nickname of pilewort as it was a traditional treatment for haemorrhoids! The leaves are also high in vitamin C and have been used to prevent scurvy.
Lesser celandine are a very common Spring flower but they are one of my favourites as they add a golden glow to the woodland floor and add a splash of colour to often boggy and marshy conditions in which it thrives.
One of today’s photos is of a hoverfly enjoying the gift of nectar on the lesser celandine and also enjoying the warmth of the sun.
When you are out and about in the next few days have a look around for those signs of Spring and see what you can spot. Keep your eyes peeled to the skies also for any early migratory birds, I’d love to hear what you have been spotting.
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