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133.

19th Feb. 47.  

Still cold, but brighter periods & some sun during day, with light snow shower in forenoon, but of no consequence. Walked to Dartry & up Dodder to Orwell Bridge & home via Rathgar. When passing "The Gables" in Orwell Rd., saw our first Waxwing on tree of Cotoneaster frigida just inside avenue gate [[strikethrough]] of next house to N. of The Gables [[/strikethrough]] & stopped to watch it at 5 yards range, then a second appeared, then a third & finally a 4th & 5th, watched these at even closer range for 5 minutes & clearly saw red wax-like marks on wings of one bird. 

The number of five suggests this may be the same flock seen by Brunker, Father Kennedy, Miss Molly Wigham & Mr. Rait Kerr, in Kenilworth Square a fortnight earlier.


20th-28th February 1947. 

Very cold weather with snow & frost continued over Brit. Isles & on Tuesday 25th the worst blizzard for many years commenced, with gale from SE. & lasted well into the night, leaving everything buried in 6" to 12" inches of snow & drifts all over the country.  26th-28th were bright sunny days, with very hot sun, & very hard frosts at night.  Wind N-NW-W & light to nil.


134.

1st-4th March 1947. 

Same bright frosty weather continued till morning of 4th, when SE. gale above freezing point indicated sign of a general thaw. The yellow Crocus in front garden which was ready to open on 7th Feb. was the first thing to appear through the snow on 1st March & still in same condition as on 7th Feb. During the interval it had been three times buried by snow & three times thawed out again. A second had by this time joined it & a third showing by 4th. The Anemone appenina continued to send up leaves during the intervals of being buried by snow. The Daphne laureola at front door, ready to flower, at end of January, looks very blasted by snow & frost & flowers not yet open. All plants of Sax. opp. still under inches of snow on 4th. One plant of Chionodoxa with leaves up through Thyme, where snow melted outside W dining room wall, but only one showing on this date (4th).


10th March 1947. 
A thaw started on night of 9th 10th & some sleety-rain removed much of the snow.


11th 12th March. 
Dull, with E SE. wind & again cold & damp with snow & sleet on 12th - light & did not lie. All snow under ca. 500 ft. now gone or almost so & many Crocus (yellow) now out in front garden. Second & 3rd Snowdrops out under drawing room window - the first growing in same clump flowered before hard weather on 10th Jan. so that these have remained in cold storage as it were for two months.