Results of the Brimstone Sweepstake Are In...

...and it was the 13th March. Today. Three days earlier than my prediction of the 16th. As far as I'm concerned, it is decreed that spring has now officially begun.

The prelude to nature spotting was a fast 10km run on the Coddington route, no time to stop, this was all about hard running, bedding in my new running shoes and feeling a bit more Adonis like than normal. I didn't see a thing on my run, and frankly I was fixed on the road ahead.

But after the 10km was clocked, I relaxed and slowed down and headed to Sconce Park to butterfly spot, as their warden had reported seeing a fair few small tortoiseshells the day before. I figured the frosty east wind might make the butterflies stay in bed, but as soon as I entered the park at the River Devon entrance, a vision of bright yellow caught the sun, and fluttered by my head.

"BRIMSTONE! BRIMSTONE!" I shouted to no-one in particular, in a rather insane fashion. "SPRING HAS BEGUN!"

So, with added spring in my step from my 680v2s, I made my way on a circuit round the park. By my reckoning, spring is a few days later than last year, as the blossom is not all out yet, but what there was in the Sconce orchard was wonderfully fragrant, and buzzing with bees.

Still no Bumbles yet, sadly. But they'll be around soon.

Si

A curve of daffodils

Slightly hissy swan

Ducks on patrol

Along the river

Daffodil bank in the old wood

Looking back the other way

Fresh celandine

At work in the blossom

Proto blossom

New signage. Watched that stuff being filmed

Hawton Holt pond

Hawton Holt screen