Snowdrops - Emblem of the (Over-)Optimisitic!

The Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is emblematic of hope that spring is on its way,
 as the fresh flower and leaves poke through the damp grass.

I steeled myself for some work in the garden today, pruning back a few unruly bushes and finally getting around to stopping the clematis from lifting the roof off the study (!) and a little stroll around the garden revealed the first snowdrops properly showing their heads above the leaves. I've long thought that snowdrops should be the emblem of the optimistic, for every year it seems we get people shouting with joy that "Spring is here, the first snowdrops are out!" Well, yes, spring is on its way, but it will be a long time coming yet and snowdrops are clearly not spring flowers, but winter flowers.

Somehow, our psyche doesn't seem to like the idea of winter flowers. Winter is the time when everything rests, everything regroups and gets ready for spring - for spring is when everything, well, springs into action! And yet there are always a few insects around on all but the very coldest days and there is no reason why there should not be a few flowers to pollinate them. Whether snowdrops are native in the UK or not will no doubt be a debate that rumbles on for ever (they probably are not, by the way, since they have been in cultivation here since at least 1597, but there are no known reports from 'the wild' until 1778) but native or not, they are a common and familiar part of our landscape and will be out in great abundance next month.

But for now, I'll enjoy the first of these for what they are, a beacon of light during the dull days of winter - and a true winter flower.

Snowdrop flowers seem simple from a distance, but more complex up close. The sheath above the
 flower protects the delicate bud as it pushes through the ground and the flowers take time to fully
 open and reveal their exquisite interiors.

New Horizons

I thought it was time I started a fresh blog; a blog that was in step with where I am in time and space. So, I did the decent thing and allowed New Year to drift quietly away, just so that this wasn't 'just another blog' that started as a "Happy New Year" but then didn't go anywhere!

As an all-round naturalist and wildlife tour guide, I am both lucky and privileged to get to go to some great places, but I also get to meet some great people in the course of that privilege, so this first post is by way of an introduction as to what I hope to be posting. Look out for posts about great wildlife, great people and great places. But also expect some personal views on the environment, conservation and all things natural. I'll be posting pictures from trips to far flung places, but also notes and observations on things closer to home, as my wife and I explore our garden and our local patch!

I have been posting as A Naturalist Abroad for some time on Facebook now (and you can follow me there, too!) but this blog will allow more space for thought and comment, as well as allowing me to to give you advance notice of up-coming trips, walks, talks and other events that I shall be involved in - and hoping that you can join me.