From Winter to Spring

During the past week we seem to have passed from winter to spring. It seems amazing to think that we were skiing on the 18th March,

and on the 19th March we were walking in snow at low levels in the Carron Valley.

On 24th March we had a beautiful, sunny day, when I climbed Ben Ledi with a friend. It was warm enough to walk in short sleeves almost to the summit, until we were exposed to the cold wind at the top, yet on the way down we visited a small lochan which was still almost completely frozen.

These photos show the summit of Ben Ledi in the background.

The only flower we found was Coltsfoot.

Meanwhile, it has been all change in the garden. We saw the last of the Bramblings on the 23rd, and the Siskins and Redpolls disappeared at around the same time. Instead, we have Blackbirds, Starlings and Jackdaws all demanding food every time I go outside.

On the 25th, I saw the first wild Primrose of the year,

and yesterday we caught sight of an adder sunbathing on some rocks by a reservoir where we had stopped for lunch.