Quick off the mark

Tiny male catkins are already  hanging on the hazel twigs. 
I was surprised to see, via my camera lens, that they have a furry coating to  provide protective insulation during the winter before the catkins mature in early spring. It reminded me of lanugo, the soft pelt that covers the skin of unborn human babies, usually shed before or at birth.

The overlapping scales of the catkins create an attractive pattern that resembles woven or plaited material. Later,  they'll open out to release pollen. A sort of botanical puberty.

The female hazel flowers, less obvious and dangly than the male,  will not appear until after the year has turned.