What a difference a week makes in our weather. There we were enduring the 'beast from the east' as it collided with the 'pest from the west' bringing snow, ice and bitter winds on what was supposed to be the first day of spring. Then just a few days later temperatures rose to normal and a thaw set in.

Birds resumed singing; wilting daffodils sprang back to life and frogs became active indulging in their hectic spawning activities.

So, just when we thought it safe to venture out again in roared another easterly beastie, albeit briefly, with more snow and plunging temperatures. What topsy-turvy weather!

Nevertheless, spring is battling back  clothed in a delightful array of yellow tones.

Daffodils, like little rays of sunshine; dazzling gorse on heathland; pussy willow catkins; forsythia and clusters of button-like coltsfoot and dandelions, both loved by early insects.

I eagerly await my first sighting of a yellow male brimstone butterfly, true herald of spring, our original 'butter-coloured fly', fluttering along a woodland margin looking for all the world like an animated daffodil as it searches for another favourite flower, namely the delicate pale yellow primrose.

So hopefully winter has finally finished with us and we can enjoy some warmer days and watch for the greening of weeping willows along pond and stream margins and also glance upwards to welcome back our swallows.