Over last weekend we'd heard a very faint "cuckoo" away in the woods to the east of us but nothing conclusive. Then on Wednesday we heard the cuckoo properly for the first time, about 2 weeks later than we'd expected; the poor weather no doubt to blame for that. Last year, at the tail-end of March we were treated to an amazing display of 2
cuckoos battling it out for terrority right over our heads.
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| Tulips & Cowslips 14 April 2013 |
Then Thursday and Friday the heavens opened -- again!!-- and we were deluged with rain. The ground is already saturated so everything rapidly turned into a soggy mess and back came the mini-ponds out towards Eric's field. We're at the top of a ridge but the land still does have a slight
pockets and these will hold the rain when we're 'over-watered'. The little peach tree out in the middle of it all looked distictly miserable with its buds just opening.
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| One of our colour-break cowslips. We get more every year. |
Earlier this morning it was still very wet and quaking bog-like underfoot so it is doubtful that, even with the already balmy 18C [10:30 am], we'll get the ride-on mower out today. However, there are plenty of other things to be getting on with like cleaning the terrace and the forecast is for better weather this coming week.
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| Tulips 4 April 2012 |
Looking at photos from around this time last year and from 2011 it's clear that we are a bit behind. Hopefully, Spring will get its act together fast! Right now the rose below is only showing lots of new leaf and no buds as yet.
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| Rose by our front door 20 April 2011 |
15 comments:
Spring has been slow coming in Europe this year and some part of the US, mostly in the north. Here we have had trees in bloom for a couple of weeks and our azaleas are in full bloom. It is so nice to see such pretty colors again. Be patient and you’ll have some soon.
I had those colour breaks too...I wonder how they are now!
@Vagabonde - it has indeed been very slow but we had a glorious day today with temps rocketing up to 26C.
It was lovely to see the azaleas at the Master's [watched a bit yesterday].
@Fly - taking over probably ;-)
I like our red ones best especially next to the acid yellow 'originals' but we also have the odd orange break.
I heard a cuckoo the other day, and the magpies have arrived to nest in the tree which overlooks our courtyard, but they are late this year. Thought that perhaps they had found another nesting site. No chance! For the next four months we shall be harassed by those birds, first the parents, then the entire family. I wonder if that cuckoo might pay them a visit! One cuckoo fledgling instead of five or six magpie fledglings would be preferable, less aggravation for the hens, chicks, and eggs.
The red strain you re-gave us has survived this time... loadza flowers and more to come... once they start having offspring... I'll spread them around a bit.
Just emailed you about fruit trees...
Lovely colours guys and I'm jealous of your heatwave. Warmer here but not a heatwave by any stretch of the imagination. I see that it's to be good for you all week so you should be able to dry out quite well.
Jean Michel calls cowslips "coucous" in French. I heard some very strong cuckoos yesterday but didn't see them. In French, they have a saying that if you have money in your pocket the first time you hear a cuckoo in spring, it'll be a rich year.
@Vera - with you on the magpie versus cuckoo front.
Last year and the year before we had 3, one to the NE, one to the NW and one to the SE and when all 3 were calling at once it wasn't quiet! :-)
This year we seem to have only 1....so far.
@Tim - I was going to ask you...glad it survived. :-)
have replied re deer.
@Craig - it was only a spike. Although today is noce too with temps around 18C. Just glad to have the sun around for a bit!
@Aussie - well often the cuckoos arrive at the same time as the cowslips flower [roughly ... Susan will correct me if I'm wrong] hence the name link.
Next year I'll be sure to walk around with some change in my pockets from mid-March onwards :-)!
The nightingales came back yesterday too! P.
@Pauline - I thought so! :-)
Wonder if we're going to get the "battle of the 'gales" again this year. Really enjoyed it the last 2 years.
I'm glad to see spring has arrived for you too, despite all your rain. Your temperatures are well ahead of ours, but it still feels so much warmer than last week that I won't complain. :-)
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