Snow, wind, cold, none of it matters much in January. Because suddenly an otherwise bare tree is full of catkins. Male seeds of hazel (Corylus avellana).
Every year I am amazed that they are there, because this way I don't see them and this way they are everywhere. As if they were suddenly hung on the tree overnight.
They start out small and greenish brown. An inconspicuous colour on an equally inconspicuous bare branch of a tree that doesn't really impress in winter either.
And slowly they mature. They get bigger, longer and thicker. They open and show a yellow colour. The yellow pollen, readying itself for when the catkins ripen, becomes visible.
In the barren month of winter, they almost give light and brighten parks and forests. A tree full of frivolous yellow strands. You would almost think spring has already begun.
And once the pollen has blown away, the tree no longer stands out. Gone is the sunny, cheerful look, the harbinger of spring. The tree is brown again and waiting, like all other trees, for real spring.
So much beauty in the world! I share here what caught my eye and where I looked for frame and position. I hope you see what I see: beauty in landscapes, cut-outs, abstracts and macro photography. With minimal editing and therefore with imperfections. Because in my image, .. Read more…