Hazel Flowers.

Female Hazel flower, Corylus avellana.  The Knoll, Hayes, 19 February 2017.

Just a short post .. You are probably familiar with the cheerful yellow hazel catkins that appear at this time of year.  You might not have noticed these inconspicuous female flowers that usually appear just after the tree has shed its pollen.

The flowers do not need to be conspicuous because the pollen is spread on the breeze, not by insects.

Male Hazel flowers, Corylus avellana.  The Knoll, Hayes, 19 February 2017.

Here's a close-up of catkins on the same tree. You can see that although there are grains of pollen stuck to it, the actual anthers are all empty and the yellow tone is much muted.