Tag Archive for: Spring

The colour of spring

/in /by

Recently, while looking through some photos I’d taken, I noticed a common theme. Apart from the green of new growth there is one colour which stands out at this time of year: Yellow. I would go so far as to call it the colour of spring, for it isn’t anywhere near as prevalent at any other time of year among wild flowers.

Stop to think for a while of spring flowers and among those emblematic of the season are a great number of yellow blooms: Daffodils, aconites, primroses, cowslips, oxlips, lesser celandine, kingcups…

 

yellow cowslip - the colour of spring

 

There are others too though not necessarily associated with spring, they can be found flowering now too: Gorse, buttercups and dandelions for example.

 

buttercup

 

That said, yellow isn’t perhaps strictly the only colour of spring, as white – if you can call it a colour (that’s a whole other discussion!) – is also common at this time of year.

Snowdrops are perhaps the most obvious that come to mind, shortly followed by others like wood anemone, blackthorn blossom, greater stitchwort, wild garlic and jack-by-the-hedge.

 

snowdrops

 

Wood-Anemone

 

Greater-Stitchwort

 

Of course they aren’t the only colours either, there are vibrant purple violets, wonderful sapphire bluebells, delicate pink herb robert, mauve ground ivy daintily speckled with maroon and all manner of others in between. But none of these really proliferate through so many species, even if bluebells do form magnificent carpets of colour that can dominate an entire woodland floor!

 

ground-ivy

 

The idea intrigued me and having done a little reading around the subject it would appear that there are several theories as to why shades of yellow and white are the colours of spring.

Firstly, being brighter colours, they are easily spotted by what few pollinators are around in the cooler weather conditions. Next, the paler colours soak up the warmth from the weak winter sun more efficiently in relation to their background foliage and than darker coloured flowers which generally emerge later in the season. This allows them to develop better and remain fertile even in colder temperatures.

Fascinating stuff – I love it when a simple observation leads me to such an interesting concept!

Next time you’re out and about take a look around you and see what you notice about our native wildlife, perhaps you’ll have a similar revelation… let me know if you do!

 

SaveSave

Spring has sprung – a little bird told me!

/in /by

In my opinion you cannot say that Spring has sprung until a certain migratory bird has returned to sing in our woodlands. The Chiffchaff is a small brown warbler with a creamy yellow breast which declares its name loudly from the tree tops at this time of year and on into the summer. For me this little bird is the ultimate harbinger of Spring. Today I heard my first of the year and it had the same effect as ever, bringing an instant smile to my face.

I often hear my first of the year in my parents’ garden in rural Herefordshire but despite listening fervently to the dawn chorus every day while I was home over the Easter weekend, it was not to be. Instead I heard it in my village in Cambridgeshire. I have yet to tempt one into my own garden but less than a mile from home is close enough for now!

 

Chiffchaff-web

 

I didn’t take this photograph today but thought I’d share it with you anyhow as I have a soft spot for it. It reminds me of a beautiful day out in the Spring sunshine and seeing this Chiffchaff amongst the blossom topped it off wonderfully. This morning however, I did record some of the wonderful birdsong I was experiencing on my walk around Lady’s Wood. You can hear the Chiffchaff quite clearly along with some of the other woodland birds. I also heard a Tawny Owl calling but didn’t manage to capture it on this recording.

 

 

The countryside is also bursting with colour as fresh greens of new growth appear in the fields, hedgerows and woods. The bluebells which were so tentatively budding in February are really beginning to bloom well now, the carpet of colour is being woven in the woodland to accompany the tapestry of birdsong. The season is definitely gathering pace and there are plenty of invertebrates out taking advantage of the sun’s warmth. Here are a couple I came across today.

Ladybird

 

Honeybee

 

Have you heard your first Chiffchaff of the year? It won’t be long before other migrants arrive too. Spring has indeed sprung but summer won’t be far behind!

SaveSave