nature – afewgreenthoughts

One out of Three

A very relaxed-looking frog in the garden today.

Its two friends disappeared while I went to look for my phone. But they’re there somewhere, under the surface…

Subtle Shades

Life goes on.

Subtly shaded fungus.

Growing on a log from a felled tree.

Let Spring Begin!

There was a lot of small-bird activity in the garden yesterday. Here are two of the pictures I managed to take (through the window, I’m afraid, so not as sharp as I would have liked).

something-to-say_46344674285_o — Plenty to say for myself…

Pairs

Two pairs of mandarin ducks out for a late-afternoon paddle. The males seem to be guarding (hiding?) the females.

A closer look …

(They were careful to hide behind some branches!)

Jackdaw

Here’s a picture of a beautiful jackdaw I saw a few months ago at a motorway service station. What is it thinking?

Witch Hazel

How can it be so long since I last posted? Already, the darkest days of the year have passed, making way for tentative signs of spring.

I saw this witch hazel last weekend when we went for a rare family stroll in the park. Beautiful wisps and shreds of yellow, and a surprisingly strong, sweet fragrance.

Some Things I Missed…

Such a late spring.

Grey, brown and black.

For eternity?

Then:

Everything seemed to happen at once!

I hope to post more pictures from my garden, and from the local park, during the rest of the week.

After a few days of sub-zero temperatures, the garden is starting to thaw out. Green is making a welcome comeback, spiking sharply through the dwindling snow. Smooth pebbles gleam. Fog hovers protectively.

There’s more birdsong today. A sense of spring, waiting. Just out of sight.

Soon…