With the cold snap having evaporated, and our local temperature hitting the mid-teens, our wildlife is waking up … slightly.
While domestic varieties of daffodils can flower much earlier (January Gold, especially), our wild daffodils usually show their flowers in late February, at the same time that the frogs appear. Some 50 spawn masses have been laid over two nights. Over the last two years almost all has been eaten. Newts take plenty of newly hatched tadpoles and mallard ducks can also be a predator. This year, I have saved some spawn on a big tank, and I have covered the rest in a net. The frogs never stay. They come, lay and vanish. Too many predators?Our crocus plants are spreading widely from seed and are abuzzzz with hive bees. These are growing with snowdrops and Tulipa sylvestris. This image is from beneath the walnuts and will be a riot of colour until June, when the area is cut. Stinking hellebore, a native is a very early flowering plant. It provides early-season nectar and pollen.Green hellebore, a native in flower in a border.An exotic hellebore.
NOTE: over 90 articles available, free of adverts. See: nwhwildlife.org – Rocky Mountains, USA and Index.
Wildlife and Ecology, the Wildlife Encyclopaedia 
Thankyou. Lovely photos and observations. I saw my first bumble bee today
LikeLiked by 1 person