Summer is officially here with this sighting of an old man in shorts in Bolton.
Keen nature watchers keep an eye on the changes that mark the arrival of spring and summer. The timing of the flowering of hawthorn bushes, the arrival of swifts, butterflies visiting plants and old men wearing shorts.
As the gnarly legs first emerge into daylight they still have the palid colouration that is the distinctive winter appearance. As the summer progresses these magnificent creatures take on a darker colour on their legs. Later in to summer their heads become decorated with ill-fitting baggy cloth hats. Ones wanting to attract mates will shed their shirts to reveal their courtship vests.
One of our readers, Colin Oktermy spotted this fine specimen in Bolton yesterday. Thank you Colin. Maybe next year we can get sightings across the country to develop a progress chart to compare with other nature sightings.