Spring green

Spring is here. Let's celebrate.

Seven-spot Ladybirds

Primroses

Robins threatening to punch each others' lights out (it ended peacefully when one walked away)

Brimstone slurping on hyacinths

Tulip

Celandine

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D

Primroses

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

In bloom

The level of detail visible on the full-size images of this Peacock is quite mind-boggling (you'll have to take my word for it)

photos taken with Canon Powershot A640

PS The last post was no. 666

Gardening

It's been a lovely weekend for a bit of gardening:

Skylark singing over the field

Shrub coming into leaf

Daffodils

Primroses (looking a bit pasty)

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

Ancient woodland

We've been to Bedford Purlieus again...

Peacock nectaring on Primroses (Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone also on the wing today)

I think these are Southern Wood Ants, Formica rufa

(interesting website about wood ants here)

Quite big and aggressive...

New sycamore leaves

Seven-spot Ladybird

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

Bedford Purlieus NNR

Big, fierce-looking wood ants were much in evidence

Wood Anemone, Anemone nemorosa

Wild Primroses, Primula vulgaris, were everywhere

Pussy Willow, Salix discolor

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

More garden stuff

Bumblebee on primroses

Bluey-purple primroses

Tiny pansy-thing

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

Spring colours

Primroses

Ladybird

Daffodils

Crocus

Some things I don't know the name of

I thought this was a dog-violet to start with, but is it actually a tiny pansy?

The results of a quick wander around the gardens at lunchtime.

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995