The Day Spring Sprung

I have just got in from a good 11.4 km run, where my knees and clotted lungs held out nicely after the illness and injury. But it was late afternoon and starting to chill a little, and there wasn't very much to be seen.

It was a different story earlier in the day when I went for a 6km walk in the late morning. It was cool to start with, but soon the sun had burnt through the cloud and the day began to warm up as I walked along the Grange Road fields.

And as it did so, insects began to take to the wing.

I saw my first bumblebee of the year buzz past my head as I reached the edge of the fields, presumably nectaring on the periwinkle that grows in the hedgerow margins. This was a solitary wanderer. But later on, as I settled into Rumbles Cafe for a cup of tea, I took a look in the flower bed, and saw it was busy with honey bees getting stuck into the wallflowers. They were obviously in a tearing hurry to fill up their saddlebags, and were hard to photograph, but I got a few snaps!

Then, to complete a hat-trick of spring giveaways, a small tortoiseshell butterfly flitted over my head in the Asda car park, of all places.

Last of all, what looked like a huge buff tailed bumblebee queen the size of a ping pong ball was feeding on the pansies in a council planter. It was all go today!

Wonder what I'll see tomorrow? A little birdie has told me orange tips are early this year...

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.03.16

Daffs looking good in the old wood

Up close

Can you see me?

Note the saddlebags in this and previous shot

Gorgeous blossom

Such a vivid tree

Big queen on a pansy

Meanwhile, others were relaxing with rod and line