Misty, Icy Weather

Temperature dropped to -5.3C at one point in the early hours of the day with freezing fog. It has stayed below 0C all day with a cold mist. The area looks as though Nature has added its own Christmas decorations to everything.







I don't think the spider webs will be catching much ..



It always surprises me that this is the time of year the corkscrew Hazel starts to produce its catkins ready to open when Spring warmth returns.





Some shots were a bit hurried as my fingers were freezing but at least there was no snow, yet, so walking about was easy.

Corkscrew Hazel

Some of the catkins on my Corkscrew Hazel bush are opening as are the flowers.



I brought one piece indoors to take some close shots.
The crimson flowers are minute as can be seen here:




A macro shot of the male catkin which produces the pollen.




A macro view of the minute female flowers.



There are several flowers in each bud.

Opening Up

Such wild variations in temperature lately.
Another morning starting near 0C though afternoons are reaching around 15C
Plenty of warmth from the Sun is waking up many plants.
Today it is the turn of my corkscrew Hazel bush.
Some of the catkins are opening:



and the minute flowers are starting to appear:



These are only 3 to 4mm across.

Catkin Time

The catkins on my corkscrew hazel bush are forming well.

Composite from three close shots:



Composite of four photos taken through the microscope:
Top two are of the outer surface.



Bottom two are of the inside of the catkin.
All taken with the iPhone 6s
Composite pictures created using the Mac app Photo Tangler.

Heard but not seen this morning was the song of our local Mistle Thrush.

Whoa. It's Not Spring Yet

I just spied one of the tiny flowers opening on the Corkscrew Hazel bush. It's a bit on the early side to say the least. The catkins haven't started to open up yet:



It looks like a couple of weeks ahead with temperatures hovering around 0C while the weather system brings cold air from Siberia. Snow warnings have already been issued for next Tuesday on this coast.

Heading Towards Spring

For once it has been a dry day with wall to wall Sunshine.

At least some of the local flora assumes Spring is round the corner.  It was January 16th when I saw the first Winter Aconite open its flower. Now the whole batch is in full bloom:





Also showing are some small clumps of Snowdrops in the Churchyard:



Surprisingly a few of the flowers are showing on my corkscrew Hazel bush:



These are easy to miss as the red part is no more than 4mm across. Unfortunately the few that have opened will be of no use to the plant as all the catkins are still tightly closed.

Nature playing Catchup

Things are certainly moving on a pace now the weather has turned warmer. Last time I looked a week or so ago I couldn't see any of my miniature narcissus now they are all in flower.



The corkscrew hazel produced its catkins long before the cold weather but they remained tightly closed. Now within a few days they have elongated and opened up to show all the yellow pollen and the tiny red flowers are open and ready to be fertilised.



At last there was some frog spawn in the garden pond. This year it looks as though most of it is viable. Last year it was all white and not one tadpole appeared. I have moved some to the safety of my 'nursery' pond where there are no fish to give any tadpoles a safe start in life.



Last week when I was experimenting with the new lens I forgot to post this photo of a House Sparrow.



Some mornings there can be up to a dozen corvids massing on the law. The Rooks seem to favour the fat balls which they attack so vigorously that it rains pieces on the birds below, much to their delight at not having to work so hard to find food.



There is a much more varied dawn chorus now. Yesterday I was able to stand and listen to a Dunnock singing not ten feed away.

Buds a Bursting

Looking round the garden yesterday showed more evidence of nature's awakening. I was catching up on the gossip with my neighbour when I noticed the tiny flowers, no more than 3mm across, on the Corkscrew Hazel. Although the bush has been there for a few years I had never noticed the flowers before but it had been fairly well buried behind other plants which I had removed last Autumn.

Corkscrew Hazel - catkins opening - tiny red flowers
(All photos can be seen larger by clicking on them)



Also in evidence were some flower buds on the Salix Flamingo and leaf buds just opening on a dwarf standard rose.



Finally on a close inspection in the fruit cage I could see flower buds opening on an early fruiting Blueberry bush and signs that the Blackcurrant bushes were coming to life. The Blueberry bushes are grown in large tubs of lime free compost as there is a lot of chalk in this area of Lincolnshire. I am hoping they repeat last years bumper crop.



I just hope that they are not starting too early as temperatures are expected to fall again over the coming week with forecasts of frosty nights returning.