a dog's life in the Tamar valley, Cornwall, PL17

The swallows are back. I saw two last Friday (11/4). Usually these early birds fly on, but this year they are already investigating the ne...

This spectacular display of daffodils, forsythia and celandines is on the road (A388) into Launceston; it gets better and better each year...

The daffodil season is at its height now. These impressive double daffodils are growing wild at Old Mill but may well be a long establis...

bluebells in the woods at Kerney Bridge, and the lovely double mayflower found locally

Spring is really here when bumblebees are to be seen pollinating  green alkanet.

the black paw gang hanging out together and looking for trouble. Meanwhile the leaves are almost out.

This is an unusual view of the little hamlet of Oldmill, until now hidden behind conifers. In the distance towards the skyline is the Tem...

It was a sunny day of many firsts of this year, the first peacocks, the first brimstones, the first stitchworts, the first ramson flower...

The mallard squadron returns. Two drakes and a female showing off their fancy specula (?). the speculum (in birds) is a bright patch of c...

birds are busy pairing up ready for the breeding season. Male and female robins look very similar. They pair up in late winter/early...

What tells us when Spring is really here? It's when the celandines are open everywhere.

some days seem just perfect and today was one of those days, the ducks on the Venterdon duck pond overlooked by a bank of daffodils, pr...

                                         Upon this Primrose hill,                                          Where, if Heav'n would di...

well, something is trying to get out and pretend it's Spring. And what about this for an amazing discovery in the parish ( link to...

much later than some years but about the same time as last year the camellia is a welcome sign that the plants are stirring.

Spring seems to have gone into slow motion. Nothing much is growing yet in the meadows, there is no warmth in the soil, but the tree...

I don't know why but the sight of martins returning to nest is one of the happiest of the year. We have had reports of sightings nearb...

Native bluebells showing off their characteristic deep blue violet colour. I hope they last until May. In local Cornish dialect "pro...

Blackthorn is now out everywhere. The flowers always appear before the leaves and the black stems create beautiful tonal contrasts agains...

Bluebells normally flower in April and May around here so it is surprising to find this solitary specimen in flower. It looks like the sp...