Early signs of Spring

There is still time for a blast of Arctic air and for the landscape to disappear under a layer of snow and ice, but the days are gradually pulling out and there are early signs of Spring. Already, I have spotted carpets of snowdrops and clumps of primroses. Catkins are in abundance and the daffodils are not far off flowering.

When the cold winds subside and the sun appears in the sky, the birds come out from their hiding places and sing.

It won’t be long until the leaves start to unfurl from the buds on the branches.

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January

We are in the depths of Winter.

Traditionally, January is the coldest month in the Northern hemisphere.

Sometimes it feels a little dark and gloomy, but you have to look for the light.

We have certainly had a wide range of weather. Days of lingering mist …

Frosty mornings where the sun catches individual ice crystals, creating mini rainbows, as the light moves through the air and water.

Frosty mornings can give rise to bright sunrises …

And crisp, sunny days.

The promise of new life.

Then it vanishes again into bleakness and cold.

The unusual spectacle of ‘hoar frost,’ formed when water vapour in the air comes into contact with solid surfaces already below freezing, producing unique ice crystals.

It’s a miracle how these little birds survive.

Then a sprinkling of snow …

Disappears as quickly as it arrived.