WestSussexBird posted on Slowtalk that spring was in the air in the UK. It has been colder than normal this year in Seattle and we are still deep in the winter. Occasionally by February, you might see a few signs of spring but not this year. Everything is still asleep.

The days are getting longer which has helped. It is nice to have it still light around 5:30pm. G is convinced that we have seen our last long period of freezing. I’m not so certain. I remember periods of snow in February. But yesterday it got above 50 degrees, the first time in a month or more.

I did a walk though the garden to see if anything was in bloom yet. Not much. The hellebores are budded but none are in bloom. A few of the bulbs are in bloom, cyclamens, a few crocuses and the earliest of our bulbs, the snowdrops.

The birds are also very active. The pine siskins and sparrows are jocking for a perch at the feeder. They love the black oil sunflower seeds. The suet feeders are popular with the juncos, woodpeckers and bushtits. We also still have a couple of Anna’s hummingbirds at our feeders. We love having the bird activity in the yard when the plants are asleep.

Here’s a walk through the garden.

Cyclamen Coum

Cyclamen Coum – a white variant

Snowdrops

Crocus

Raindrops on Euphorbia martinii

Junco at the suet feeder