15th February 2006

I  have been watching with fascination the opening of the catkins over the past month – they really  are beautiful this year.

There have been some extremes in temperature in the last few weeks.  We had a bitterly cold end to January with a few days of freezing fog.  The Black Hill looked quite magical as all the trees emerged from the mist coated on one side by ice crystals.

The snowdrops are out.  Someone mentioned to me that they are late this year but I usually think of them out on Valentines Day, which is about right this year.  Martha has taken to calling them Tinkerbells.

Jamie has been pleaching some hedges and we were blessed with sunny weather that resulted in a couple of evenings of gorgeous light.  This really is a beautiful art and one that should never be lost to future generations. 

This is something I have never really appreciated the beauty of before. ‘Balls’ of this lichen (?) grow on the Hawthorn bushes and I often see them on the floor after a windy winter’s day.  Does anyone know what it is called?

Look out for the lovely bullfinches and long tailed tits, two of my favourite birds, down in the bottom of Obley.  Enjoy the nature of Obley and please let me know if you see anything of interest or if you have any particular areas of expertise.