Blossom in the snow

A spell of blustery snow showers ushered in Easter Monday, morphing gradually through a bitterly cold overcast morning, to an equally cold but sunny afternoon. I think it's the first time I've ever seen snow alongside the flowering cherry!

In the afternoon I drove out to Bedford Purlieus for a walk, my first visit of the year. Over the winter the paths are always very muddy, but nearly a month without rain, and a spell of fresh winds, have allowed everything to dry out. It was good to catch up with many of its special plant species including four rosettes of Fly orchid, some Hairy Lady's-mantle, heaps of Greater Woodrush and a few plants of  Hard Fern. Many of these species are common in other parts of Britain, but are rare locally because of our predominantly base-rich soil.

The cold wind meant that there very few insects about, but I spent a little while watching Wood Ants climbing over the Blackthorn Blossom, presumably seeking nectar (see extra).