Telltale signs of spring

Perhaps it’s just me but winter this year has felt very long, almost never ending.  Each weekend recently has brought storms and the news since Christmas has been dominated by the Australian bushfires, Brexit,  floods and of course the Coronavirus. It has all felt a little gloomier than usual. But, there’s no mistaking the tell tale signs of spring are here.

The mornings are a little brighter, the evenings a little longer and the birdsong a tad chirpier. Green shoots are popping up through the soil and the first glimpses of blackthorn blossom along the roads on the morning commute have lifted my spirits for sure.

One of the prettiest signs of spring is blackthorn blossom. It’s so pretty and it grows everywhere here.  Kissed by the late afternoon sun,  the delicate, creamy white petals become almost translucent, in contrast to the dark, spiny branches that ramble upwards to the fleeting blue sky beyond.

Some photos of the blackthorn blossom

I took these shots at Hazelbank, a local park that sits at the edge of Belfast Lough.  On my wanders with my camera, I came across another pretty flower. It was the drooping clusters of deep pink that drew me in ! I think this is a flowering currant. But if you know otherwise, please feel free to correct me 🙂

Hazelbank is a popular spot with families and dog walkers. In another month or so, it will be filled with cow parsley. For now, I’ll rest content with the blackthorn.

Have a lovely Sunday x