With Storm Brendan battering the country just this week, it seems hard to believe that Spring is on the way.

But, indeed it is!

Hazel catkins have been spotted on the Sandstone Ridge.

Hazel is a deciduous broadleaf tree native to the UK.

This is an interesting image because the yellow male catkins appear before the leaves and hang in clusters; ordinarily from late-January to mid-February.

So, here we are in January and already large clusters of these catkins can readily be seen.

Thanks to our reader for sending this image into the Webteam.