Storms, Storms and More Storms (2020, weeks 7-11)

I haven't been out as much recently due to a combination of ill health on my part, ill health in my dog, fields with lambs, and storms. Lots of storms. We have had three storms in February - Ciara, Dennis and Jorge - that brought a lot of wind and even more rain. This has resulted in lots of flooding...

Flooded gateway

Flooded island

Flooded field

... and lots of mud

Muddy gate

What we haven't had much of is cold weather so plants are growing. Spring is definitely here. The dead nettles are flowering - the white dead nettles started before the red but both are now providing early nectar. The lesser celandine is also out in abundance, its bright yellow flowers only open fully in the sun and are a lovely sight. Adding some welcome colour are the much-maligned dandelion. There have been the odd one or two out since the beginning of the year but they are getting much more numerous as things warm up. The yellow flag irises are shooting up, it doesn't feel like long before they'll have flowers on them. There are also some garden escapees along the Drove adding some early colour or promise of colour. I spotted a spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum) near the barn today and there are daffodils out below the trees near the Watery Lane entrance to the Drove.

Red dead nettles (Lamium purpureum)

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)

Spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum)

Daffodils on the Drove bank

The birds are also becoming more vocal. There are lots of great tits and robins around. The swans have started going their separate ways but they're still around. There are stonechats, lovely little birds that like to perch on the fences. And there are lots of other LBJs (little brown jobs) which I'm still learning how to identify.

Stonechat male (Saxicola torquata)

So spring is definitely in the air. Hopefully with the improvement in health and (please!) weather, I'll be out more regularly from now on and will be updating things more frequently.