Strange spring

(Nimue)

I’ve seen snow at this time of year, and I’ve been sunburned. The coming of spring is an odd process, which can include a lot of wintery moments. Even so, this year is being peculiar.

It’s cold enough that I’m still wearing thermals. Yet somehow, the bluebells are out up on the hilltops. Bluebells are usually a May flower – late April wouldn’t be ridiculous. Garlic and wood anemones – which also flower around the same time as bluebells, are also flowering right now. Whatever set the bluebells off early isn’t unique to them. I have no idea what’s going on, but clearly this is climate chaos in action.

Meanwhile the celandines are still out – it’s late for them.

Bird nesting seems to be happening in much the usual way, in so far as I can tell. However, what happens with flowers has implications for insects, and what happens for insects impacts on birds. As different parts of ecosystems get out of synchs with each other, there are bound to be consequences.