Phenology - what this blog is all about.

This fine figure of a frog emerged from under the damp undergrowth as I was clearing up the garden on Saturday. It was good to get out and enjoy the milder sunnier weather and I think the frog felt the same. I suspect that it is a female full of eggs. There is very little water around for her to lay them in although I took her down to the pond and ditch and hope that the rain will help provide the environment she needs.

The loch is beginning to fill again and return to more normal levels as the snow gradually melts from the hills and mountains. The Campsies are nearly snow free now although there is still quite a lot lying in the gullies on the higher slopes.

It's strange how a word that you have never been aware of before sometimes crops up all over the place. In last month's Dumpling Times I noticed that the Park Rangers are working with children on a phenology project. I had never come across the word 'phenology' before but as the article explained it is the study of seasonal or cyclic changes, particularly in relation to climate, animals and plants.

After giving a talk about this blog at the local heritage group (on the basis that any record or diary kept now may become an archive in the future) a neighbour mentioned to me that the Woodland Trust undertake a national phenological survey that I might be interested in. As one of my reasons for writing this blog was to record changes it seemed a good idea to follow this up. Now that I have registered, observations I make can be recorded online at the Nature's Calendar site where it is also possible to see how Spring (when it finally arrives) advances from South to North across the UK. A very useful booklet gives guidelines on what to record and how to ensure that all observations are made when trees and flowers are at the same stage of development for consistency across the country. This will give me a new purpose when I am out and about - looking for budburst, full leaf and flowers in oaks, elms, and alders as well as recording the wildflowers.

These are still very late this year. There is just one clump of daffodils out by the post box brightening up everyone's day as they drive past. This little group is always ahead of all the others but is even earlier this year. They may be a particularly early variety but they are also in a very sunny and sheltered spot. In the woods and under the hedges, there are signs of some of the leaf shoots of the bluebells and wild garlic. A few more warm days is what we all need!