butterbur and three dogs

 

it's butterbur time again, with three dogs trying to avoid the camera

more Spring

 

 on the road to Down House

the succulent leaves of orpine pushing up through the leaf litter from last year. Orpine is one of the first of our wild perennials to emerge, and yet is one of the last to flower (in August September). Now that Spot's amanuensis has returned from the wild shores of Borneo (see below) and the even wilder clutches of Saga he can start blogging again.

 

dawn at Turan beach and Mrs Spot owner doing her thing.

levels

 

the top (almost) and the bottom (almost) of the food chain

things are happening

 

crocuses about to bloom as some warmth returns to the soil. For the technically minded Spot is experimenting with a 2 dioptre lens on the end of a FX Nikon 24 - 70mm lens, a tripod, and F22 which makes the camera intensely short sighted (like him) but gives a lot of depth of field over quite a wide area. Roll on FRPS.

skylarks happen

 

today we heard the first skylark of the year, high and invisible to the naked eye, but a little flock of four flew past. They like rough pasture like this field and nest on the ground although the nests are very hard to find. It feels as if Spring is almost here, the tipping point, but so often this turns out to be an illusion and Winter bites back. February always feels like the longest month of all.

definitely out 2

 

ant's eye view of native snowdrop