Country diary: The air carries the faint fragrance of spring awakening

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Country diary: The air carries the faint fragrance of spring awakening

River Itchen, Eastleigh, Hampshire: As we take our monthly swim, goat willows dip towards the water, and red-tailed bumblebees ping-pong between daffodilsDuring the winter months, we suspend our monthly river swim to avoid disturbing the spawning Atlantic salmon and brown trout, which deposit their eggs in redds – shallow, bowl-like depressions excavated in the chalk streambed. Though the breeding season typically ends in February, we’re mindful…