Yesterday, a series of little things happened.

To start with, I noticed for the first time this year that the sky was no longer pitch black when it was time to get up.

At lunchtime I was lured out from my desk by sunshine, and felt its warmth through my clothes.

The crocuses were open; indeed, some of them were wide open, which they only do when they're really relaxed.

Honeybees, bumblebees and even a couple of small hoverflies were eagerly visiting the flowers...

...and their faces were dotted with golden pollen.

And then a Red Admiral butterfly flew strongly around and settled in front of me.

It was a simple equation that seemed to add up to something bigger than its parts. I then realised what it was: happiness!

If you want to drop by my RSPB wildlife gardening blog, it is updated every Friday, and I'd love to see you there - www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/hfw