Rhododendrons on one bush in West Park flowering in the middle of last month, at a time when other bushes in the park and across the city had buds as yet unopened.
The weather then had seen alternating periods of gale-force storms and frosty nights, with combined effects seen in the damage to these flowers, even those not yet fully open.
I couldn’t see what is was that the West Park squirrel was burying. It wasn’t very big, but the squirrel was putting a lot of effort into covering it over. That meant it was clear where the disturbed ground with buried treasure was.
A pine tree, probably a black pine, stands tall over the other species spreading in the vicinity of the tea rooms in West Park.
A pair of magpies under one of the horse chestnut trees in Bantock Park. They were searching the short grass (part of the Pitch and Putt course) for things to eat.
The middle of last month, as a cold, dry spell was about to give way to a series of wet days, not quite so cold. As I walked to Bantock Park, I thought that it had just about kept above freezing on the previous night. Once in the park, some patches of frost quickly proved me wrong.
On the pond, a tin, thin layer of ice: Bantock House is in the background.
A female blackbird searching for food in short grass by a footpath in the Smestow Valley Nature Reserve. She was very near the hazel with the catkins which featured in a post yesterday.
I didn’t notice the thrush trying to photobomb the last shot until I got home and developed the pictures.