Daffodil Delight - February 2018

It was a cold crisp cloudless blue skied morning for my photo shoot this weekend, and it really did feel like Spring was in the air.

Many would say that Springtime has truly arrived when the first Daffodil (Narcissus) opens, and here it was. It had been in bud for a while, but here was the first one to open up in dad's garden, and it was worth the wait, especially when viewed against that beautiful blue sky.

Camellia Explosion - February 2018

It wasn't just the Daffodils that were eager for Springtime to start. The Camellia bush had decided it was time to open up the majority of her blooms, and was looking quite spectacular.

Spring Snowdrop - February 2018

The Snowdrops (Galanthus) were continuing to flower apace...

Forsythia - February 2018

...and there were more and more blooms appearing on the Forsythia (Forsythia intermedia) bush.

Catkin Opening - February 2018

The first few Catkins of the Twisted Hazel Tree (Corylus avellana Contorta) were even beginning to open, and getting ready for pollination.

Budding Branch - February 2018

New buds were appearing on lots of trees and shrubs, including the Acer palmatum tree...

Leaf Formation - February 2018

...and the Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala) bush.

Toothy Tips - February 2018

The Houseleek (Sempervivum) plants were starting to grow again...

Thorny Issue - February 2018

...and the Climbing Rose (Rosa) was starting to get a little colour back into its branches.

Backlit Bract - February 2018

Another definitive sign that Spring was on the way was the old Lacecap Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) bush bracts were decaying quickly.

Goldfinch Feeding - February 2018

Turning my lens towards the Avian community, I was pleased to finally get a close-up shot of a Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), albeit grazing from a neighbouring garden's bird feeder.

Treebound House Sparrow - February 2018

I also managed to sneak up on this House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) as it chirped away in the branches of a tree, and got another close-up of a small bird.

Gliding Gull - February 2018

I didn't have to move far to grab a shot of this Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) as it swept past my lens once every ten seconds or so as it looked for some food in the gardens below.

Blackbird in the Branches - February 2018

The final sure fire sign that Spring was on the verge of appearing was that the Blackbirds (Turdus merula) looked like they were on the lookout for mates. This male was chasing multiple females from treetop to treetop, and squabbling with any other male it ran into.

So, it was definite then. Spring was almost officially here.

Snow Storm - February 2018

Err, hang on, scratch everything I just said above! Two days later and it was back to Winter again, with snow falling across the majority of the country.

Daffodil Dusting - February 2018

In my garden, the first Daffodil wasn't greeted with beautiful blue skies, but rather a torrent of snow...

Felicia Dusting - February 2018

...and the Blue Marguerite (Felicia amelloides) blooms weren't faring much better.

Amano Head - February 2018

Finally, onto warmer environments, and my tropical fish. Here's a shot of one of the Amano Shrimp (Caridina multidentata) that does a sterling job of keeping my 55g aquarium nice and clean.

So, this week I went with Daffodil Delight as my Image of the Week, mostly because the first Daffodil of the year to open up is always special, but also because it looked fabulous against the lovely blue sky...