What's your favourite season?

Well, first of all, I must stress that I love ALL the seasons for different reasons, and am very grateful to live in a part of the world where - most of the time(!?) - we have 4 defined seasons!

I have however voted for Spring as I love to see everything come back to life after the Winter slumber! New flowers, buds on the trees, insects emerging, a new generation of life, whether it be mammal, bird, plant or any other organism! I also welcome the warmth and also the increasing day length that Spring brings!

I have good reasons to love all of the seasons but Spring is unbeatable - we're packed out with nesting birds, all of the trees start going green again, the babies start getting fed right in front of us - best of all the migrating birds return, including Ospreys and Swallows.  YESSS!

Here's EJ the Beautiful.  I rest my case!

It has to be Spring. It means I've survived another Winter. But more than that it's the resurgence of life, bright fresh leaves, blossom, birds singing and pairing up - wonderful time.

Autumn can be pretty special sometimes too with the colour and the migration but it presages Winter which these days I do not like very much. If I could migrate I probably would.

My favourite is whatever season it is at the moment. Each is special in its' own unique way.

A bit of Autumn colour from today.

Seasons past.

Winter

Summer

Spring

I hate dark evenings and grey days.

Spring is wonderful when the evenings get longer and everything bursts into life. There is nothing quite like it.

I think every season has its own charms which are sometimes only apparent once the season has commenced. The Spring brings colour and life back to the garden, although I'm sure it is still there during the Winter if you know where to look. Yet this past Summer stood out for me. I only started feeding the birds in late March and pretty soon the numbers increased, as did the number of species. By the time Summer arrived, the place was transformed and a plain 18' x 18' flagstone covered garden had become a small wildlife oasis. There were so many highlights in the Summer, but the two that stood out more than any other were the amazing sparrow colony and of course a certain young robin. Dozens of little sparrows all over the garden, experiencing everything for the first time and providing me with endless photo opportunities with their delightful antics, of course Baby R has remained in the garden and has been a constant source of delight. That was Summer for me. The Autumn has brought more work for me in the garden, but it is all groundwork for next Spring and Summer, so it is a great investment of my time as the pace of life in the garden slows down for another year. I now have new plants which will be ready for next Spring. I have (following the advice of forum members) planted honeysuckle and clematis for the robin box. In addition I now have two small lavender plants between the honeysuckle and clematis. Hopefully they will attract bees and other insects when Spring arrives. I hadn't even thought of specific plants until I began catering for the birds. Winter could prove hard work for the few birds that remain in the garden, but I will ensure that they have sufficient food and water available throughout the cold months ahead. You can't beat a crisp Winter morning! Crunching through freshly fallen snow or a thick frost in a sturdy pair of boots; there's nothing quite like it! However, I'm not sure that the birds have the same fondness for snow. When Springtime comes around again, all our planning and work (with some help from Mother Nature) will have been worthwhile. The garden will gradually turn from brown to green, the birds will pair up and start searching for nesting sites and the whole process will begin all over again. The Summer will bring more young sparrows to frolic in the water dishes, fluffy young starlings bickering over the fatballs and maybe Baby R will have his own littluns to look after? Yes, Summer gets my vote...

I think all seasons have their own beauty and special features although I would have to say Spring is my particular favourite as I look forward to the trees coming into leaf again along with bulbs, flowers and plants all springing into new life again,  especially the birds building their nests and raising their young in hectic fashion !    Spring also reminds me of the longer days and the faint hope of a decent summer to come next    LOL    well, we live in hope !

I've just scrolled through those 'seasons cycle' (all you XTC fans) photos once more. What a wonderful country we have around us. Truly inspiring. Thankyou for reminding me of the true beauty and simplicity of the countryside. It's so easy to forget to hit the 'pause' button in our lives sometimes and the simple pleasures are often the most rewarding.