Frozen fritillary

It was a gloriously sunny morning, so I went out early to count the Snake's-head Fritillaries that grow in our riverside meadow. The meadow has become quite coarse in recent years, with abundant Tall Fescue, and it was quite hard to pick them out, but in the end I found 44 blooms, about a third less than last year. It's the first time I've ever seen them frozen solid (see extra) but the ice melted rapidly as soon as the sun fell on them. It was good to hear the screeching of the Common Terns (see extra) over the Rowing Lake, another sign of spring.

After breakfast Pete and I went for a walk round Holme Fen, but there was little sign of spring there and I only took a single photograph. We stopped for coffee at Dobbies on the way back, and couldn't resist a few plants for the prairie bed that's next on our renovation list. After a heavy rain shower had passed we spent much of the afternoon gardening. Pete built the base of a new seating area using sleepers and gravel - so now we've just got to choose a bench to put on it!