Spring in the park

It was a nice, sunny day yesterday here in The Netherlands, a good day for a walk in the park to look at the latest signs of spring.

After the snowdrops and winter aconites, the first lesser celandines (Ficaria verna, called fig buttercups in the USA) started showing their flowers (I expect the wood anemones to be next):

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO100, f8, 1/160s}

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were going about their business:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 300mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/160s}

Some, like this muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), were just standing there. Maybe they were cold; they are not native to The Netherlands and have been brought in from warmer regions:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 300mm, ISO200, f8, 1/80s}

Fresh twigs were sprouting from old cuts:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/100s}

All this was accompanied by a serenade from above by this robin (Erithacus rubecula):

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 300mm, ISO100, f5.6, 1/500s}

Spring is definitely here!