I really look forward to spring and yesterday it felt as though it had truly arrived on Orkney. The daffodils on the roadsides have been gradually starting to flower but yesterday, as we drove to the local shops, we noticed whole swathes of bright yellow flowers dancing in the light breeze.
It's my first spring on Orkney as we've always visited during the summer. What I didn't realise is that all along the roadsides there are thousands of daffodil bulbs. They not only brighten up the verges outside cottages and houses but also the roadside next to fields and alongside stone walls. We've had snowdrops, we've had crocuses, but the daffodils are a real sign that spring is back.
Two hares, just outside the kitchen window
Hares are a noticeable feature in the local countryside. Although a little shy in the winter months, we are now surrounded by them as they box and dash around the fields. We often spot them in the paddock and garden, and the other evening whilst I was sitting by the window reading a book, one strolled past the window on its way to check out the front garden. Most mornings, when I wander through to the kitchen for my start-of-the-day cup of tea, I'm treated to the sight of of a hare or two outside the kitchen window. The two in the photograph above were grazing the grass by the oil tank. This is a lucky photographic shot. All my previous attempts to get a good image have been more like this ...
Camera shy
Less shy are the sparrows. They wait for us by the bird feeder, sitting on the pampas grass or in the bushes in the flower border. Excitement goes through the group, with a raucous chattering. At our last home, the sparrows visiting the feeder were always wary and flew away at the sight of humans. We've noticed a distinct difference with Orkney sparrows. They are content to allow us to stand a few feet away, being more interested in the seeds in the feeder than in us.
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