Honeysuckle

The honeysuckle which grows on our patio has just decided to bloom for a second time this year - something which has never happened before. The bush is covered with buds, and most look as though they are going to bloom - though I'm sure a sharp frost would cause them to drop off. This cultivar normally flowers in June, and on a warm night the sweet scent perfumes the whole patio. These late flowers only have the faintest scent, just detectable if you inhale deeply. This photo was taken in the morning, under a flat grey sky, which is actually quite good for retaining detail in pale flowers.

This afternoon we went for a walk around Holme Fen, under an even darker and greyer sky, but fortunately the rain front stayed to the east of us (though we could see it quite clearly). I found that I had left my SD card at home, so no photos were taken, but to be honest there wasn't a lot to take. There were large flocks of tits and finches on the birch and alder catkins: Chris spent quite a lot of time looking through the binoculars trying to identify them but struggled because the light was so appalling. However, we're fairly sure that some of them were siskins, the first of the year. We also saw a goldeneye on the lake, so winter can't be far away.