Solar eclipse and spring in bloom

This morning I was in Musselburgh to see the solar eclipse. I had read that you can use binoculars to focus the light from the eclipse and project it onto a wall or piece of paper - this trick failed totally, but the more traditional pinhole idea did work. Even if that hadn't worked I was just amazed by the beautifully eerie light quality during the eclipse (though I don't think this photo does any justice at all the true quality of the light)

As soon as it started to get brighter again, a skylark started to sing.

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Coltsfoot has been in flower for a couple of weeks now but these are my first photos of the year

I've already shared lots of photos of the male pussy willow catkins as they've been opening over the last few weeks and here are some more

 and not to forget the catkins on the nearby female tree

I watched a pair of long tailed tits carefully collecting 'stuff' from branches and then taking it deep into the bushes. I think it was food for their youngsters, though they may still have been collecting nesting material.

Oh and I saw my first two bees of the year!