Just over a week ago we were under several inches of snow and ice with the temperature struggling to get above freezing. Yesterday the wind fell light, the sun was out and it was in mid-teens centigrade. Time for a long overdue walk. Will nature have recovered quickly? What will we see?

Everywhere the Robins were announcing their claim to territory. Their glorious song filled the air. Full volume now, not the subdued version they will utter even in the depths of winter. They mean business. To our ears beautiful music, to a rival a challenge, throwing down the gauntlet!

Banks of snowdrops and crocuses filled country gardens, groups of daffodils in sheltered spots already in bloom. Wild flowers starting to appear on the verges of the country lanes, Bright yellow lesser celandines, small blue speedwells, daisies and dandelions. New growth pushing through and in the warmth you could literally smell it!


Along the 7 mile walk my eyes were peeled. I just felt the conditions would awaken a hibernating butterfly. Like last year it was Mrs H who spotted the first, a Peacock, and as is her way kept reminding me of it (didn’t think it was a competition). A few miles further on, as we were admiring the local Alpacas, a lemon yellow male Brimstone danced past right under our noses and did a circuit of the paddock. I got my first butterfly photo of the year just a mile from home. A fluttering by an ivy hedge caught my eye and there a Peacock in pretty good condition (considering it spent the winter possibly in a hole in a tree) sat in the sun, posing, allowing me the pleasure to capture the moment for posterity.

Hopefully this isn’t a false dawn and we can enjoy more days like this in the weeks to come, I can’t wait!
Perfekte Fotos.
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Thank you!
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Looks like you had a wonderful walk Brian. And your butterflies seem to be just as hardy as ours. It really does look to be in great condition and that’s a fabulous picture. We had plans to go down into the valley today to try to find some dragonflies (or the like), but the sun has decided to hide behind some clouds. So maybe tomorrow or Wednesday… (The temperature could be touching 18 degrees).
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Perhaps a bit early for dragons Mike, we aim for early April but you should score more butterflies.
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OK – I’ll not get my hopes up, but I’ll see what turns up, if anything. I’m sure I’ll post anything interesting. 😊
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Ah, I’ve been waiting for this post! Hope from across the ocean. Thanks, Brian!
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You won’t have to wait long Bryan then lot’s to enjoy.
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Just absolutely awesome!!! We are getting unusually warm weather too. I saw my first yellow butterfly yesterday (citron vlinder, in Dutch) in our back garden. It was a real sign of hope that Spring might be here and hopefully some changes. Thanks for sharing and enjoy the weather as you know Mother Nature has been moody and she might change her mind at a wink of an eye…
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Many thanks CJ. A whiff of spring is good for the spirits. Hopefully we don’t get a nasty setback, let’s just ease gently along.
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Your Robin and Peacock are stunning! What a great walk. Isn’t it nice having a second set of spotting eyes along. 😀 He-Man has proven to be a good spotter from time to time as well.
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Hi Deborah. Yes it’s good having Tina along spotting, she just gets a bit competitive.
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He-Man does too sometimes,but I remind him we’re on the same team. That usually works to reel him back in, but he slips up now and again. 😂
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Nice series of images! Glad you could get out and photograph on your walk!
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Thanks Reed it was a lovely walk.
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Spring is most definitely in the air in your part of the world, Brian, and while I enjoy your beautiful photographs I am not thrilled at what they signal for us on this side of the equator…
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Ah Dries, enjoy your Autumn it’s often a fine time of the year.
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That’s very true, Brian. It’s that dry and dreary season beyond autumn that I dread…
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Yep, it’s definitely in the air. Lovely pics.
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Hopefully no set backs David.
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I love seeing your bee and that beautiful butterfly. Spring is definitely arriving there…I still have to wait a bit longer, but hopefully that wait can now be counted in days and weeks and no longer in months.
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Hang in there Mike it will soon be action stations!
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Last year I saw my first dragonflies on 3 April (michaelqpowell.com/2020/04/06/first-dragonflies-of-the-season-2/), so I will start to looking for them in a months’s time, just in case some emerge early this year. 🙂
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Lovely. These images just made me smile.
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Thanks Irene. You can imagine how I smiled taking them.
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Yes, Spring is in the air! One can hear, feel and smell it. Hope we get some more to see of your beautiful captures.
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I hope I can get out and about to photograph more but sometimes there is a sting in the tail. It’s amazing how a few days good weather makes everything burst into life. Thanks for popping by Greta.
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How nice to see your wonderful photos of early spring! I look forward to it too, a little while longer for us 😏
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All the more sweeter when it arrives Belinda.
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Still thawing out over her – the sun is out and the temps have started pushing up causing quite the slush with the melting of the 16 continuous days of snow and ridiculously cold temps. Can’t wait to get out and assess what creatures made it through the cold months. That tit can rival any of our warblers for sure. Oh, I did get some butters during our exploration – embarrassingly bad execution compared to your work, but wanted to get some in the tin for you to enjoy…. sometime in say 2025 ha! Thanks for the inspiration to get out in the Spring fields.
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Yuk I hate slush, luckily ours went very quickly. Now you’ve got me excited, butterfly images. Don’t be a spoil sport get a post together pronto, love to see some Texan beauties.
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Gorgeous captures.
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Glad you like them, many thanks.
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I see how that butterfly got the name peacock.
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We haven’t had your degree of cold weather, but signs of spring are also showing up more and more on each outing. Soon!
Love the Robin and hope the Blue Tit finds your accommodations to its liking. That Peacock is a beauty!
Here’s to warm days filled with birds, blooms and bugs!
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Since then it’s turned cold, grey and misty! Just got to love an English spring!
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