Alders again

I'm learning to love these little trees and not just because they're handy for a blip when I get off the bus and realise I haven't taken a photo (it's either them or the Water of Leith, folks). I suppose the reason I'm agin them is that they have no nice colour in autumn - the leaves stay on the tree tatty but still green quite late in the season and then go black and drop off. But their catkins are almost the first sign of spring around here and they're very popular with the little birds.