Nature Notes #5

Whisper it quietly, there have been tentative signs that Winter is loosening her grip on the land. Yesterday, a short walk between showers was memorable for singing Skylarks and feisty Robins. There were a few floral surprises too. In a very sheltered verge, some Common Hogweed was in bloom, blatantly not waiting its turn in the normal order of white umbellifer flowering dates. Nearer to home (just across the road) another verge was beginning to reveal the shoots of dozens of Coltsfoot.

During a sunny spell last week, when I was wandering around the garden, I noticed some insects buzzing about the flowers of Snowdrops and Crocuses. On closer inspection, these turned out to be honey bees, how very hardy of them! Chatting with a local beekeeper later that day, she confirmed that the daytime temperatures had been just about bee-friendly, so she wasn't too surprised.

So, in celebration of that joyous sign of Spring, here's the Afro Celt Sound System, and their wonderful fusion of African beats and Celtic melodies, and 'Honey Bee'.

Honey Bee - Afro Celt Sound System