February continued as January had ended, with very cold - but mostly dry - weather. There were a couple of snowfalls, but in these parts at least they weren't very significant - an inch or two at most - though ice towards the end of the cold spell did restrict travel for a day. Temperatures down to minus 6C in the daytime saw off the last of the flowers that had lingered on from autumn, and brought the birds into the garden in force. Things started to turn milder by the middle of the month.
We were away from home for the second half of February, and returned on 1 March to a much more springlike garden; the first impression on stepping out of the car was the thrush singing. His mate turned out to be busy nesting in the hedge. The snowdrops were past their best, but the daffodils started coming out after a few days (they're late up here on the windy Wolds), the hellebores were doing well and the bergenia was out. The cowslips are also back in flower. It also means that the weeds are growing!
The first warm(-ish) days came with the second weekend of the month; warm enough for lunch outside on the bench. There's a lot of weeding to be done, but also the winter pruning that was delayed by the cold before we went away. So much to do, so little time ....
The partridges are still around, though now in a smaller group of 8 or so. The pheasant has decided that he owns the garden and I am an interloper that needs to be seen off, so he's being given short shrift when he appears; he has started bringing three lady pheasants with him and clearly doesn't want me around. The warmer weather has brought other signs of spring: the first butterfly of the year (a peacock), and the first bat seen one evening in the village. The most remarkable sighting, though, was up on the main road, where a red kite was hunting along the verge - we've never seen one in Gloucestershire before!
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