Spring at last

At last, after a long dull winter, with no real spring, the weather has changed and yesterday was sunny and warm. At long last it actually feels like spring! The next few days are promising too.

Spring?

My son planted these daffodils last autumn. They are now well out. We have had a very long winter and, only today, with a clear blue sky, has it felt like spring.

With a bit of luck, the grass will be cut later. This is only the second time this year. It has been too cold and wet to cut!

Cowslips

The first cowslips have appeared here and, by any measure, we are now officially in spring. The clocks go forward this coming weekend.

100 sand martins (birds) have been seen in Devon. These are migrants often seen returning about now. I remember my dad telling me when he first saw these over the golf course. He died in 1987 sadly. I miss him.

Spring around the corner?

At least both morning and evenings are getting lighter now. Although evenings started to get lighter from mid-December, mornings only started to get lighter this week.

Things growing are later than last season when some daffodils were out in late November. This winter it has been colder and there are only a few snowdrops out so far.

Spring is coming, but it will be some weeks yet.

Front Garden in Spring

This is a photo of our front garden yesterday. The windmill is in view on the right. Spring has nearly sprung: all the trees are now starting to look green or are in bud. Mind you, we still had a frost on Sunday morning.

Spring sunshine

Today started with a frost and ice on the car roof, but it has been sunny all day. The garden is still not in its "spring glory" yet, but it soon will be. There are buds or leaves appearing everywhere at last.

I like the lighter evenings too. It does not get dark here now until after 8pm. In June it is light until after 10pm.

Soon be time to hear swifts screaming in the evening sky. Great.

Late spring?

A few months ago everything seemed to be early. We have seen daffodils in flower right through from late November. Some places have loads of daffodils in flower and even some snowdrops still. Yet, if anything, spring is late here. It is now way in to April but I have yet to see a swallow in this area.  My laurel hedge is hardly growing. The grass has only been cut a few times. Odd. Yes there  are buds coming out, but spring is definitely not early here.

Spring?

There are probably another 6 weeks before we see the trees coated in fresh green, the blossom well out, and fields of yellow rape.

Swallow

Already the first sand martins are returning to Devon and there has even been a report of a returning swallow in Devon. It will probably be into April before I spot swallows up here in East Anglia. Usually I see my first swallows here April 7-14th. Swifts are not usually seen (by me at least!) until the end of April.




See  http://www.wildlifeindevon.org.uk/pages/sightings.htm .

These returning migrants bring joy to my heart: long after I am gone they will still be doing this journey as their ancestors have done for thousands of years. I admit there have been times when I never thought I'd see this spring.

Spring

The Met Office (our UK weather bureau) treats the start of spring as March 1st. Well, there was no doubt that here it is now spring. Today I cut the back lawn for the first time since the autumn. It was a day of b's: bench, beer (on the garden bench after doing the lawn), buzzard (overhead), bees, butterflies, blooms and blossom. Today really felt like a spring day. We have had a mild, wet winter but it has seemed endless. Today, the garden was calling.

Oh to be in England now that spring is here.

Honestly, there were times when I thought I would not see this spring.

Springtime

What a difference a week makes!

It now feels like spring with the birds singing again, buds coming through on trees and bushes, the grass starting to grow and a general feel of spring in the air. It is still cold at times, but overall the feeling is that spring is definitely in the air at last. We had a mild, wet winter, but it will only be a few weeks or less until the summer migrant birds (swallows and house martins soon, swifts at the end of the month) arrive.

I am looking forward to sitting out in the garden again on a light evening. Mid June it is still light here after 10pm.

Spring?

For the first time this year, we sat outside in the garden and had a cup of tea in the sunshine. It felt quite warm for a change. We visited the "Burwell at Large" exhibition at the village college earlier this afternoon. Inside the village college it was hot. I refilled the garden bird bath and was entertained by a blackbird who spent several minutes in it later, preening and washing himself. He clearly enjoyed himself.

My wife Lis did some weeding. I was rather too exhausted to do very much. By now I was expecting to be fully fit again, but I still get times and days when I am totally shattered, like today.

Spring?

According to the Met Office, March 1st is the first day of spring. Others say it is in a few weeks. Either way, it feels more like spring. This winter has been pretty mild but wet. There is far more mud this year.

In a few weeks'  time the first sand martins will be landing, then house martins and swallows. I am checking the Devon wildlife sightings page to see when the first arrivals are. Up here near Cambridge it is usually a few weeks later, at least.

Spring on its way?

Our visit to Anglesey Abbey this week was cheered up by the sight of blossom and budding daffodils. I reckon 2 weeks and these daffodils will be in flower. Considering the weather, this will be early.

Blossom at Anglesey Abbey - Dec 19th 2014

Spring has arrived

Feb 26th 2012 and it now feels as if spring has arrived already. After a week or so of very cold snowy days we have the garden springing back to life with bulbs pushing through, the birds singing and looking at nest sites and the grass growing. This morning I even cut my front lawn for the first time this year - just a trim to even out the growth.  March 1st marks the first official day of spring according to the Met Office, so not long now.