Wold Garth ; Week Nine

After the tedious and uninspiring dull weather of the week before the weather would markedly improve as February gave way to March, and some good spells of pale spring sunshine would reawaken the nature of the garden and surrounding area during this ninth week of 2013. Indeed on many days it was warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the spring flowers which now grace many corners of the garden, and it was even more heartening to watch the Honey Bees visiting these same flowers. The Crocuses were a particular draw for the Bees on the sunnier days this week though the last of the Winter Aconites were also popular with these industrious insects (the vast majority of the Aconites have now already concluded for yet another year however).

Spring flowers

Honey Bee visiting a Crocus

Another Honey Bee taking advantage of the early spring blooms

Other flowers are also starting to appear, including the first of this years Daffodils, a sight which surely lifts the coldest of hearts, while the blue flowers of Anemone blanda and the yellow blooms of Forsythia are also appearing here and there. The blue and purple flowers of Lungwort (or Pulmonaria if you prefer) are additionally just starting to open and since I've had a stinking cold this week I think I could have done with a herbal remedy using the leaves of this once favourite plant of the medieval herbalists (though whether this would be advisable I'm not really sure). However despite a search in the usual spots I have not been able to find any Violets yet, but given some fine weather I'm sure they will soon appear (Violets being a particular favourite of mine).

Snowdrops and Crocuses

Crocuses enjoying the sunshine

First Daffodil of the year

Bird wise a pair of Siskins visiting the Nyjer feeders was the main highlight (a good first target for my new camera combination) and after shunning our garden for the whole winter it was only typical that they would appear on the most spring like week we have thus far enjoyed in 2013. Elsewhere the pair of Bullfinches are still being seen feeding on the blossom buds, their delicate 'piping' calls being heard throughout much of the day, while the more common garden songbirds have been excelling themselves this week and providing a fine chorus of soothing and varied notes, though special mention must go out to the Song Thrush which seems to sing from dawn to dusk atop the Ash tree. Meanwhile at night the local Tawny Owls have been noticeably more active and on a couple of evenings they have been seen in the trees surrounding the house, seemingly indifferent to our presence as they silently sit and keep an eye out for their next meal.

A pair of Siskins enjoying some Nyjer seed

The male Siskin watching me get a little bit too close (he flew away shortly after I took this photo)

Female Siskin

A little Jenny Wren

Weather Statistics for Week Nine (26th February - 4th March 2013)
Average Temperature : 4.1 C / 39.4 F (1.3 C below average)
Total Rainfall : 0.0 mm / 0.00 inches (0% of the average)
Total Sunshine : 23.9 hours (109% of the average)

After the dull weather of the week before, this ninth week of 2013 would prove much brighter with some lovely spring sunshine bathing the garden, particularly on the last two days of February when there was barely a cloud in the pale blue sky. Combined with light winds this also allowed it to become reasonably warm, the temperature peaking at 9.8 C (49.6 F) on the 2nd of March, but nevertheless the week would still conclude below average temperature wise, mostly thanks to some chilly overnight lows. The week was also completely dry with not a drop of rain being recorded, this becoming the first week in 2013 to have seen no precipitation whatsoever (and hopefully it will not be the last) :-)

The western towers of Beverley Minster on a bright and crisp morning

Our cat enjoying the warm spring sunshine :-)