Hawthorn vs Blackthorn

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 The hedges are full of life at the moment. This picture of our land shows both Hawthorn and blackthorn (both are popular in hedges being prickly and stock-proof).  It's easy to tell the two species apart at this time of the year as in the hawthorn the leaves come out first (and then the blossom) but with the blackthorn the bloom precedes the leaves. Both plants produce berries that are important to birds in the autumn and winter.


In other signs of Spring there is a small patch of wood anemone in our bog meadow (these plants are usually associated with woodland).


Diary
Another swallow over the house this morning. A camera trap in the bog meadow showed a fox hunting.




The weather is bright and sunny but too windy for me to do my butterfly survey.

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