A change in the weather

A plume of mild damp air brought heavy rain, which finally released all the wonderful scents of the garden in May - a heady mix of wallflower and clematis overlying the greener odour of mown grass and the somewhat pungent alexander flowers.

I spent most of the day at the computer, preparing my first lecture for Leeds. It was very time-consuming, although I'm fairly happy with the result. I shall be writing lectures most of this week I think, but at least in subsequent years I should only need to tweak them, which will be a time-saver. 

After so much screen time, I felt the need for a walk, though I managed to time it just right to miss most of the sunshine. Although it was breezy, at last it was a warm breeze which wafted waves of scents towards me - sultry hawthorn blossom, balsam overtones of poplars and the sweet scent of white willow catkins. I saw four herons this evening, including this one who I captured just as he flapped lazily across the river to a new fishing spot.  

I also watched and photographed a kingfisher, who had caught a fish, landed among some nearby branches and then took it into his nest hole, just above the water, screened by nettles and dandelions. Unfortunately the river is a bit too wide, and the light was rather low, but I have added it as my second shot for the day.