20 February 2012

Fending off the cold

I called in at our Winks Meadow reserve today. It was a typical early spring Suffolk day, with a very cold wind sweeping across the 'high' claylands of the former Metfield airfield.
The meadow as yet shows few signs of spring, but amongst the winter grasses, the cowslips are beginning to prepare. It occurred to me that their tight clusters of flower buds - hunkered down in the basal leaf rosettes - resembled my hands clenched against the cold!

13 February 2012

Snowfall

The recent spell of snowy weather made getting out and about to the meadows very tricky. All but Hutchison's meadow are off minor roads that were either snow bound or treacherous with ice. However, by the third day the road to Monewden was passable with care, so I called in at Martin's meadows to take a few photos of the grassland beneath a blanket of snow.
It was quite magical to arrive and find the snow completely undisturbed except for a few pheasant and rabbit prints and the detail of the orchard trees really stood out against a snowy back drop.
Even with snow on the ground, the hazel catkins in the orchard were a welcome sign that spring is just around the corner, whilst a cluster of ladybirds very wisely remain in hibernation.