Yet more signs of Spring

We've had a run of very changeable weather this last fortnight or so with everything from torrential rain to glorious sunshine, occasional flurries of snow and blustery winds. But Spring is still very much in the air and I've seen my first bumble and honey bees, along with butterflies like red admirals and brimstones. The skylarks are singing and the woodpeckers are hammering. And, on the ground among the newly opened daffodils, there is fresh young plantain, cleavers, red deadnettle, cow parsley, primrose, hogweed, stinging nettle and acres of green bluebell shoots.

Meanwhile, the trees are still dangling catkins and blossom is breaking out on the wild cherry trees. Leaf buds are swelling and it's particularly dramatic on the ash trees where those hard little black buds are suddenly bursting open and showing the highly compacted leaves inside. From a distance they look like blackberries.

Things can only get better from here.