The beginning of Spring, or the great awakening in the land, has begun. As daylight lengthens and the land begins to warm with the sun, though we might remain cocooned within our wintry nests, we can feel the rising energy of new life within the Earth. Hazel trees have started flowering, their catkins full of pollen, whilst snowdrops, primroses and early daffodils begin to send up new shoots. Many creatures are shaking off winter and becoming active. Robins, blue tits and blackbirds are already heralding in the dawn and for some, like the long-tailed tit, the breeding season has begun. So too mammals like the fox and grey squirrel and in many areas the mating calls of the common frog can be heard around ponds at night in February.
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