Signs of spring redux

I'm not really a bird blipper, but I couldn't resist this redwing (nope, apparently it's a fieldfare according to DaveH and he knows better than me) which was posing for us on the side of the road as we walked towards Regatta. And I was lucky enough to have my long lens on the camera. One of the many signs of spring in recent weeks has been the proliferation of bird noises - obviously most of the birds in Helsinki are migratory. The woods nearby are alive with bird song.

Today, we also saw a squirrel which ran across our path, as well as all the usual suspects such as swans, geese and cheeky sparrows, and some increasingly aggressive seagulls which are starting to dive bomb Regatta's unsuspecting customers. Oh, and speaking of Regatta, the boat is looking a lot better than it was doing on Sunday evening.

And flowers. It's amazing to see that crocuses and snowdrops have sprouted and flowered in just a week, in places that were covered in snow until a few days ago. One patch of crocuses had a bumblebee making hay in the sunshine. I guess that when the growing season is so short, it has to be intense.