First spring post for 2019
The tree and flower buds are opening in north-east Scotland now, like these Sycamore
Acer pseudoplatanus leaf buds.
The lovely soft Scottish light shows the subtle tones and colours of the buds.
Down at ground level the Bluebells
Hyac
inthoides non-scripta are opening and the ferns unfurling.
It's good to take a ground-level view, that of the birds like the Robins
Erithacus rubecula who were collecting insects to feed their newly-hatched young.
One pair of Robins in this wood had hidden their nest beneath this tussock of old dried grass from last year.
Their eggs hadn't hatched yet, the neighbouring pairs to either side had though. The chicks were only two days old.
The birds with young had five chicks, this nest contained six eggs. Five is the most common clutch size in north-east Scotland. perhaps there had been plenty insects for food when the eggs were laid two weeks ago. It was warm and sunny then, today was cold with showers.
