First flowers seen for the BSBI New Year Plant Hunt

Bush Vetch blooming in Donegal, 1/1/2016
Image: O. Duffy

Well that didn't take long! 2016 is less than half an hour old and it seems the New Year Plant Hunt has kicked off already. 

Oisin Duffy has scooped the prize (again!) for the first wildflowers seen in bloom in 2016. 

Oisin and his partner in crime Mairead Crawford have already been out and photographed Bush Vetch Vicia sepium and White Clover Trifolium repens in bloom at Gortinreagh in Donegal. 

White Clover flowering in Donegal, 1/1/2016
Image: O. Duffy 

Oisin tells us that the photos were taken just after the clock struck midnight. Now there's dedication for you!

There are still other prizes to be won - check out blogposts from last January (Archive on right) to see some of last year's winners and marvel at the extravagance of the prizes ;-) 

Or you could take part in the New Year Plant Hunt just for the fun of it and to collect valuable data on how our wild plants are responding to changing weather patterns. 

Time for a few hour's sleep before the sun rises - goodnight botanists and a very Happy New Year Plant Hunt to you all!