With every passing year, I get ever more of an emotional response to the signals of the seasons. It's that bittersweet acknowledgement - and comfort, it seems - in recognising in nature the rhythms of time. Do you get that feeling too? Tell me it's not just me!
The emergence over the last week (down here on the south coast at least) of spring butterflies really got my hormones sloshing around in that excitement that spring engenders.
In one sunny day in my garden, I first had a brief Peacock flashing its staring 'eyespots'.
Then a Comma returned repeatedly to the same sun-warmed stone, angling itself to get the full benefit of the sun. Butterflies at this time of year love those little micro-hotspots - it helps them warm up their body temperature ready for the serious business of tracking down a mate and seeing off rivals.
And then, barely a couple of metres away, a Small Tortoiseshell dropped in, perhaps lured by the scent of the fresh Nettle growth which will be the foodplant of its caterpillars. (However, one or two Nettle plants won't do - they demand a good-sized clump in full sun, the picky devils).
As you can see, the wing surfaces of this individual are a little battered, some of the scales having worn off. But then it will have been alive since last September or even August. It will have spent the winter, wings closed, body cold, in a shed maybe or amongst Ivy.
And then finally a male Brimstone came wandering through. At this time of year, they seem to be on an eternal search, looking for the love of their life tucked down in the vegetation.
Yes, in the rhythms of life, I'm hearing spring's heart now firmly beating.
It's not just you! I saw my first Peacock butterfly last weekend and heard a Chiffchaff at HQ on monday during my lunch break! It's such a beautiful time of year!
For me it is the hum of the bumble bees, frogspawn in the pond and the explosion of spring bulbs.
Last week, during the day, we saw a bat catching insects for around an hour before it disappeared into its summer roosting site. We thought it unusual to not only see it feeding during the day but moving from its winter roost to its summer roost this early.