Two years ago, three weeks into April, I went to look at the snakeshead fritillaries in Magdalen College grounds and realised that if I'd gone sooner I'd have seen them alongside daffodils. I made an annually recurring note in my diary to visit earlier.

A year ago, at the beginning of April, I was sanding floors in one space and packing up another ready for moving; I had no time even for taking photos - going to look at flowers was off the bottom of any agenda. I ignored the note in my diary.

This year, with daffodils having flowered so early, I assumed I'd missed seeing them together but this morning I went to look anyway. I was right: most of the daffodils were dead or dying, although there were some. But the fritillaries were as I've never seen them before. Usually their water meadow isn't even muddy let alone wet.

This water, which runs into the River Cherwell then very soon joins the Thames, was murky, which might be expected from its speed, and smelled evil, which should not be expected. It'll reach London in a day or so.