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41.

23.11.52, cont. It seemed rather dishevelled & gave me the impression that it had been awakened by some accident from hibernation rather than freshly emerged. In order to pass the Arbutus tree in Butterfield Avenue we walked back to Rathfarnham, but on reaching it we found the tree in shade & the place very cold & saw no insects. Along the roadside saw many ☿☿ wasps & in one spot just W. of the Arbutus saw several, & captured 1,♂  V. vulgaris. Also found 5 ♀ flowers open on the early Hazel by stream 1/4 mile NW. of Tymon castle, though ♂ catkins by no means ready to shed pollen.

3rd. Dec. 1952. A lovely sunny day with light E. breeze, glass very high, with frosty nights; much snow on hills above 1,000 ft. Went, alone, by 2.15 bus to Firhouse to order turkey for Xmas at Mr McGrain's (?) & get a dozen eggs (@6.6) from Mrs. Powell's (opposite Knocklyon Ho), & walked back to 54A bus at Forfield Rd. Saw many Redwings in field N. of Cosgraves for the first time this winter, driven down by snow on hills, I suppose. 

6th Dec. 1952. Very high & steady glass for last few days:  cold with night frost till 4th : on 5th milder with SW-SE jam & very heavy rain all afternoon , evening & night: almost hot on 6th, but E. breeze getting up at midday started a drip; very foggy (smoky) in afternoon & evening. No fall in glass!

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6.12.52, cont. In forenoon took bus to Rathfarnham & walked via the Narrow Walls to Landscape, Dodder Park & home via Rathgar Avenue. Very mild - almost warm - windless, but no sign of wasps seen at the plentiful supply of ivy blossom, though Honey Bees seen in at least two places - Narrow Walls & Featherstonhaugh House - attending the flowers. 

10th-25th Dec. 1952. Weather continued very unsettled, with severe gales about, much rain, some snow - of all of which Dublin missed the worst - mainly cold, with two hot spells, the last of which a week before Xmas. 

In spite of general low temperatures since Sept. many plants showing signs of spring - Daphne laureola ready to flower at hall door, Erica mediterranea in back garden, 3 Snowdrops under drawing room window on 24th in bud & Sax. spiculata flowering shoots to come quite visible & Crocuses well up, &c. Severe weather in England about 10th to 15th brought thousands of Redwings & other Turdidea into Ireland & snow on hills drove them down so that the fields S. of Dublin were full of them from 15th onwards. No wasps seen since 23rd Nov.

Transcription Notes:
♂♀☿