Spring cleaning and gearing up for a new year

After dismantling the irrigation and decommissioning the rain shelters for the winter months, the long wait is over and it's time to get cracking again. Back in March, I was joined by a handful of people willing to spend some time cleaning the accumulated dust and debris.  All depths were plumbed as we cleaned water butts....

Neil cleaning the water butts

.... washed down guttering.....

Andy, Kadmiel and Neil - useful tall people reach the parts shorter 

 

researchers cannot reach!

.... and checked pumps, batteries and solar panels were all still working properly. 

Becca checking the pump housing and evicting a few beetles while she's at it

 The relatively mild winter meant that some plants had got started early, with hairy violets and cowslips being among the first flowers seen on site this season. 

It also meant that there were scores of overwintering harlequin ladybirds hiding out in all the pipework and basking in the unexpected (but very welcome) Spring sunshine. 

Did I say "scores"?  Hundreds of the little critters were soon swarming around - I had to turf several out of my camera bag when I got home, and several more have taken up freeloading residence in the car since! 

Several hours of sunny showers (including a short shower of hail) culminated in a dramatic rainbow over site, affording some 'ooh' and 'aah' moments to end the day on.  Lovely.