When I think of how many moments I've missed through total lack of being aware it makes me sad. Would I have noticed a different species of butterfly? What about the birds I like to spy now? Have they soared overhead while I stared militantly at the ground? These days I try to maintain a good level of mindfulness. Of noticing, of clocking changes and differences.
There's still much I might well miss but not through a lack of effort.
Remember the everglades pools? They were drying up (about a month ago!) with a high concentration of wiggly tadpoles.




I'm looking at nettles in new ways. Not least as they are laval food of some butterflies. C has made nettle beer and reports back it's unexpectedly good.

Wildflowers sprung into life.
There were a few weeks of hawthorns being so full of flower that it looked as though the snow had returned.

Sprinkles of speedwell. I love the pop of neon blue,
Cherries starting to grow here and there. They're bigger now though.
Speckled wood butterfly. One of the few I can identify (or so I think)
Ok, so this is a picture of an interesting little grub (?) hauling itself up a cobweb-style rope up to a tree branch. Curious. And tough to take a picture of, so this is the best I could manage.
Posing squirrel.
There's something magical about the woods.
I've looked this wildflower up. It's black medick.
Deer, yes I have seen you. Neither of us move.
Moth out. As moths go, this one is quite an arty black and white.
Above, orange tip refusing to STAY STILL.
It's a thingy.
And a more identifiable brimstone butterfly. I didn't relise until the other week that there's a brimstone moth too. (Too much to ask for a different name?!)

Ribwort plantain grass. Fun to 'shoot' at one another if you can fashion the stem into compliance.
Lovely pink tinged froths.
Vetch.

That one that tries to grow in lawns. Looks far nicer at large. Hedgerow crane's-bill.
Hedge mustard.

There are buttercups everywhere now but these were some of the first I saw which made them more interesting.
White campion
More speedwell

Colour palettes.
And is it another variety of speedwell below?

A hornet! Alarming, as I was close to walking on it when C exclaimed and made me almost jump out of my skin. It seemed a little groggy (I guess he/she too was caught out by the faux sunshine and lacked the energy)
More speedwell just because
and more vetch too.

What have you noticed recently?
Take care,
Sophie