A blue tit amongst daffodils on St David's Day in Wales, UK

© Philip Jones/Alam

Daffodils on St David’s Day

These sunshine yellow daffodils appear to have caught the eye of a passing blue tit - and no wonder. Bursting with colour on the banks of rivers and streams, these early bloomers have long been admired as a herald of spring. They were made part of today’s homepage image as the world is celebrating St David’s Day and daffodils are one of the national emblems of Wales.

The wild daffodil is thought to have been a symbol of Wales since the 19th century. Its popularity may have come from a link with the Welsh for daffodil, ‘Cenhinen Bedr’, which means St Peter's Leek - and of course, the flower tends to be in bloom around early march, the time of St David’s Day.