Salix Caprea - Goat Willow

Called Goat Willow as the little cloven-hoofed beasts like to eat the fresh green leaves of this tree - when there is still little greenery around, we have small clumps of this tree around the lake and dotted sporadically in the wood.

Those little fluffy heads are more sturdy than they at first seem, the glittering night time frosts still very much present.  I know their leaves won't be far behind and we can all relax as spring ends this protracted winter.