I have tentatively been calling it spring, as we always seem to have a wintery throw-back this time of year. We're having a slice of winter right now. I'll probably keep seeing the signs of spring until it's summer good and proper.
The local bird life is fully active now. Yes indeed. One day this week I woke up to what sounded like a plaintive kitten stuck up a tree. A swoop of pigeons and a shadowy brown silhouette indicated the presence of a kestrel, obviously hawking the local feral pigeons.
The next morning, some colourful guests to my bird feeder, two jays and several of the parakeets. Although there have been parakeets visiting the gardens around here starting around 1996, this is the first time I've seen them in my garden. The feeder is close to the house so I had a really close encounter.
Enough about birds. Here are even more signs of spring;
Primula vulgaris is in full bloom at the moment. One of my favourite spring flowers. It self-seeds quite readily here. I am a little cross that some of the newer seedlings appear to be crosses with some garden centre monstrosities from neighbouring gardens. 
Muscari latifolium is in flower now. Very exotic, jewel-like flowers. I have a few Muscari, and have space for more - they're brilliant plants. From time to time you find a front garden where a certain plant has just taken over. More often than not, it's brambles or Japanese Knotweed. In this case, the owner of the house has no need to fret, the garden is over-run with Chiondoxa forbesii.
More impressive in real life, I assure you. It has even seeded itself between the gaps in the pavement outside!
3 comments:
Wow, that's impressive. I get the parakeets in the trees, but never down at the feeders. They're noisy, aren't they? What with foxes, and crows, and magpies, and parakeets, it's a wonder we ever get any peace in SW London. I'm not complaining for a minute, tho...
You should get parakeets on your feeders one day, Victoria. They do seem terribly wary, but being parrots, I'm sure they won't pass on an opportunity for easy food. A bit like foxes and dustbins, I suppose.
Ive seen the parrots in West London loads of times when i lived over that way- but last week I was out in my garden and distictly heard them call as they flew overhead up here in North London- they must have been from Hampstead Heath which is only a couple of miles away.
Loving the Chiondoxa- not a plant ive grown before but theres a house with 2 window boxes full that looks so pretty at the moment.
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