The First Day of Spring
01st March 2015
1st March - The first day of spring
It is the first day of spring, but when you look at the grey, flat landscape, devoid of obvious life and colour, it's arrival seems under played.
This winter has produced a mixed picture, where warm and very dry days would suddenly, and almost surprisingly, change to become more seasonal. One day warm, the next cold and covered in snow, which as soon as you got used to the idea, the rain would come and clear the snow and a return to warmer days.
Recently, regardless of this ever changing scene, there has been the odd hint that spring was coming. When ever walking near a wood it was evident that the birds are more noisy and active in amongst the branches. In fact, recently I have heard the ringing, chained melody of the Song Thrush singing from the tops of trees. This performance, to me, is a powerful portent pointing to the change in season.
"That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture
The first fine careless rapture!" (Browning).
However, today the weather has made another twist and turn, bringing snow for the Fells along with very strong, bracing winds. Unsurprisingly, despite the significance of the date, Spring seems far off and the land is plunged back into a Narnian like winter.
But then, when considering the constant changes and unseasonable conditions experienced this winter, I may have deceived myself about Springs arrival. I might be looking forward to the 'growing season' too much when I consider I didn't hear my first Chiffchaff until the 21st March, see my first Swallow until 11th April last year and heard the cuckoo even later. Crocuses have only just broken through and Snow Drops have only recently raised their white heads, to droop over streams and adorn moss covered banks.
Perhaps I am anticipating the change of season too soon, whilst missing the true beauty of the season I am still in(?)
It is the first day of spring, but when you look at the grey, flat landscape, devoid of obvious life and colour, it's arrival seems under played.
This winter has produced a mixed picture, where warm and very dry days would suddenly, and almost surprisingly, change to become more seasonal. One day warm, the next cold and covered in snow, which as soon as you got used to the idea, the rain would come and clear the snow and a return to warmer days.
Recently, regardless of this ever changing scene, there has been the odd hint that spring was coming. When ever walking near a wood it was evident that the birds are more noisy and active in amongst the branches. In fact, recently I have heard the ringing, chained melody of the Song Thrush singing from the tops of trees. This performance, to me, is a powerful portent pointing to the change in season.
"That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture
The first fine careless rapture!" (Browning).
However, today the weather has made another twist and turn, bringing snow for the Fells along with very strong, bracing winds. Unsurprisingly, despite the significance of the date, Spring seems far off and the land is plunged back into a Narnian like winter.
But then, when considering the constant changes and unseasonable conditions experienced this winter, I may have deceived myself about Springs arrival. I might be looking forward to the 'growing season' too much when I consider I didn't hear my first Chiffchaff until the 21st March, see my first Swallow until 11th April last year and heard the cuckoo even later. Crocuses have only just broken through and Snow Drops have only recently raised their white heads, to droop over streams and adorn moss covered banks.
Perhaps I am anticipating the change of season too soon, whilst missing the true beauty of the season I am still in(?)