Saturday 17 March 2012

Wild Daffodils

As Spring approaches our woodland flowers take advantage of the available sunlight, before the leaves form on the trees and darken the canopy. One of the first plants to flower are wild daffodils creating swathes of early colour, which can still be found in ancient woodlands, like the ones below. Smaller than cultivated  varieties, usually 20 to 25cm high, native wild daffodils have large, single, yellow flowers, pale outer petals and a darker yellow cylindrical trumpet.


Monday 5 March 2012

Great Crested Grebe Courtship

A sunny March morning today and a visit to my local lakes to observe Great Crested Grebes performing courtship displays. I observed two pairs, one pair were simply following and turning away, then following and turning away but this pair were a bit further on in the charm stakes, performing an elegant display of heard turning and crest ruffling.