Monday 23 March 2015

My First field walk of Spring.

At last the fields are dry enough for Tess and I to have an afternoon walk over them.  Although there was a sharp wind blowing it was a pleasant afternoon and we set off in fine spirits.





I have to say that there is very little sign of spring yet.   In the fields the grass has yet to green up and there is no sign of bud on any of the trees.   Even the blackthorn, which is the first to show, seems to be waiting for a few days of warm sunshine.

The hazel catkins are out, although they are sparse on the tree I photographed.   Interestingly, underneath the tree are the shells of most of last year's nuts, neatly broken in half (probably by the sharp little teeth of mice), their contents eaten to stave off winter hunger.

Tess led the way along the beck side, watched by numerous rabbits from a safe distance - they are everywhere.   The side of the beck in our little plantain is peppered with rabbit holes - there is a large warren there,

While we are on the subject of the plantain, the farmer has seen (and heard) a pair of buzzard in the tree tops and we are hoping that they will nest there this year.   They are beautiful birds with their majestic hovering and floating in the air currents and they only take dead carrion so are no threat to small hedgerow birds.

Two pairs of yellow hammers are investigating the hedge where they always lay - and appearing at the bird table to top up on seed throughout the day.   They are most welcome.

At the field gate back on to the lane deep golden lichen grows thick on the blackthorn branches - almost the only golden yellow I see on my walk.  No sign of celandines and not even a marsh marigold in bud.   But I shall keep watching.

14 comments:

angryparsnip said...

What a lovely walk. I am sure spring will be there soon.
Did Tess get a chance to get some good bunny sniffs in ?
Everything in Tucson is blooming like crazy because our summer heat is coming very soon.

cheers, parsnip

donna baker said...

I watched a pair of buzzards fighting during flight once and a little later, one was down on the ground. I got a towel and picked it up and put it in a tree to rest. Boy, did it stink. I guess from its diet. It was gone when I checked on it later.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

We have had celandine here for a few weeks now, but after a promising start things have slowed down rather.

MorningAJ said...

Spring won't be long. We have buds breaking into leaf here and there are a few flowers appearing in the roadsides. You shouldn't be much more than a week behind us.

Joanne Noragon said...

I believe when spring arrives we will hear a shout round the world.

Terry and Linda said...

You use barbed wire also! I loved looking at your farm! Thank you so much for sharing!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer

Anonymous said...

Things are beginning to bud here, but it concerns me that we will get at least one more good freeze and harm the beautiful little buds. Hopefully your spring will come soon. :)
-Lori

Cro Magnon said...

We have our Peach trees, and some Plum trees, in flower. Now I shall be worrying about late frosts. We have Buzzards; the poor things are always being chased away by the Crows/Rooks.

thelma said...

Blackthorn blossom is also out, great clouds of it along the roads. And of course the ornamental cherry blossom is also on show round here.

Bovey Belle said...

Spring is late here. We have had Celendines at the same time as the Daffs in the garden, though things were a little further on in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire at the weekend.

The sun makes such a difference - hedgerows of Hawthorn which were dark and knobbly at the morning's start on Sunday, had suddenly put out tiny bits of green on our return 8 hours later. We go again in a fortnight and should notice a big difference then.

Mollyblob leaves in my garden pond edge but none along the valley wet spots yet.

Heather said...

We have celandines all over our garden. They are making themselves very much at home in spite of my husband trying to get rid of them. Blackthorn is out down here, catkins, daffodils, banks of primroses and blossom buds forming as well as the first signs of early leaf buds on hawthorn. You have all of these to look forward to. Your photos are lovely and the golden lichen is beautiful.

Em Parkinson said...

I'm glad we're not the only ones for whom spring is proving elusive Pat! I keep seeing people's pictures of abundant blooms....we have none. Tess looked like she was enjoying herself. Love to you all.

Becca McCallum said...

Everything is springlike in my corner of Scotland! Purple crocus in the park, little bits of blossom on the trees, daffodils everywhere, and there's even a brave camellia tree starting to come out...

The Weaver of Grass said...

Seems as though Spring has arrived for everyone except Em and me.Never mind; it will come any day soon. Thanks for calling.