Alert

I rode the ebike to the family gathering yesterday and rode back today by a different route - 30k in each direction. A slightly shorter route today, with less climbing, but harder work because we have a brisk NW wind bringing in cold air from the direction of Iceland, and I was travelling into it. In both directions I wore a skullcap under a helmet, two pairs of gloves and a windproof, fleecy top. I didn't get overheated!

In contrast, I just checked my records back to 2014, and I don't have any mention of oilseed rape (colza) before end of March in any of them - most years say 'OSR just flowering' in mid-April, so this is a slight wake up call that the season is really here. The warm autumn and warm early spring have clearly had their effect, and this recent cooler weather is misleading. While the colder conditions last, though, the rape will be reluctant to make nectar and the bees will be reluctant to collect it. I think we have a week to get ourselves organised 

In most years, more than 50% of our honey comes from OSR (last year it was 100%). If flowering is starting now, it will be over in mid-May. It's a remarkably short period of time in which to concentrate so much of the year's action

This isn't actually home, it's about 10k south. If you ignore the cold air, it has been a glorious spring day, with intense skies like this in all directions. The closer I got to our village, the more I thought the views were improving, which made me very smug. I'm sure I'm not prejudiced 

It feels unusual to take a picture with so little complexity in the colours. Four colours, two shades of green, that's it