Barrys Countryside Blog: Spring Catch Up.

APRIL CATCH UP.

I did not know what else to call this blog as I have been so busy that I have not had time to do it until now, so better late than never.

Well from around the middle of the month we saw a change in the weather, it became warmer and the ground started to dry out a bit allowing farmers to try and catch up with their work. I was out and about on one sunny day and over the week end, the countryside had been transformed, as fields that had not been worked on because of the long wet and cold winter had suddenly been ploughed and rolled ready for the seed drill.

A View Across The Derbyshire Countryside, Fields Ploughed
And Ready For Drilling.

Although farmers have been taking advantage of the warmer weather, the ground in many places is still to wet and cold for successful seed germination and some crop failure is to be expected. On a brighter side this warm weather has brought a burst of colour into the hedgerows and woodland as many spring flowers have bloomed into flower. I also saw my first Swallow today (18th April ) and as I travelled along I saw several more, lambs could be seen out in the fields playing in the warm sunshine and I enjoyed my ride out and about in the local countryside enjoying the views and the birth of spring.

Lambs Enjoying The Sunshine.

I have not heard the Cuckoo yet although I am reliably told it has been heard on Cannock Chase and more recently at Rolleston and also at Foremark Reservoir, they are not as common as they used to be and in recent years as much as I travel around the countryside I have not had the pleasure of seeing or hearing one. I will finish off with some of the many photos that I stopped and took while driving

around to day.