A winter riverside walk, with hazel and alder catkins and an entertaining weasel

A walk by the swiftly flowing river, with a cold wind wrapping around us, our granddaughter in law and great grandson for company. The wintry bare brown earth is being changed by the green of fresh wild plants and flowers pushing their way through. Hazel and alder catkins were much in evidence and blowing back and forth in the wind.

Best of all we watched a weasel on the edge of the field bordering the other side of the path. These creatures are such fun to watch, they are so lithe and their movements so quick. Seeing us he stood still for a few seconds, then in a trice he was off across the path directly in front of us and down the river bank. Here he spent a few minutes playing hide and seek with us, his pretty little face peeping out first from one side and then the other at the base of an alder tree, before he jauntily sped off along the river bank before disappearing down a hole.

It was turning colder and by now the wind felt not only wrapped around us but also as though it had insinuated itself into our very bones and turning we headed for home.

Kingfisher, seven spot ladybird and lesser celandines

Down the lane this morning to watch the urgent rush of the river, was delighted to see the flash of a kingfisher as he made his way up stream.

By the bridge on a newly sprouted stinging nettle we saw an early seven spot ladybird, enjoying the morning sunshine.

A few steps further on we saw a group of golden Lesser Celandines ( Ranunculus Ficaria ), with surprisingly large heads, their pretty faces upturned toward the sun.

These plants are a real herald of spring and their golden brightness is very uplifting after the cold dreariness of a long winter. They are to be found along lanes and on river banks, peeping out from hedges and growing alongside field edges.

In my garden they are plentiful, although not the joy to me that they are when seen anywhere else.

I have gently dug them out for more than a quarter of a century, taking care to try and remove each tiny corm from their root system. It is a thankless task as each spring new plants push their way through the soil asserting their independence and right to be there!