Author Topic: Signs of Spring  (Read 208647 times)

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #575 on: 15 April, 2013, 08:53:15 pm »
The flowers are appearing, in a mad rush to make up for lost time. The verges are carpeted with celandines, a bank at the bottom of the hill beside Hatton locks had the best show of primroses I've ever seen there. A couple of clumps of dog violets and several large patches of wood anemones were covered in flowers.

Chiffchaffs have arrived in Warwickshire. I heard 3 singing this morning.

Basil

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #576 on: 16 April, 2013, 09:56:32 am »
A magpie is trying to build a nest near work.  I'm guessing that it's its first year as it is not very good at it.  Keeps flying into the tree with twig, drops the twig into place which then promptly falls to the ground.  Magpies ignores the now large quantity of twigs under the tree and flies off, returning with a new twig.  Repeat.

Number of twigs in place so far - nil.
Number of twigs on the ground under the tree - loads.

Hoorah!  Progress at last.  Persistence has paid off.  There are just a few twigs in place today. 
He's under pressure now though, as every time he arrives with a new twig (some of which still fall straight to earth) he is accompanied by another bird who just looks on critically.

Interestingly, although there are now lots of good sized twigs under the tree, these are being ignored.  Presumably as they “don’t work”.
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Wowbagger

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #577 on: 16 April, 2013, 11:48:37 am »
A magpie is trying to build a nest near work.  I'm guessing that it's its first year as it is not very good at it.  Keeps flying into the tree with twig, drops the twig into place which then promptly falls to the ground.  Magpies ignores the now large quantity of twigs under the tree and flies off, returning with a new twig.  Repeat.

Number of twigs in place so far - nil.
Number of twigs on the ground under the tree - loads.

Hoorah!  Progress at last.  Persistence has paid off.  There are just a few twigs in place today. 
He's under pressure now though, as every time he arrives with a new twig (some of which still fall straight to earth) he is accompanied by another bird who just looks on critically.

Interestingly, although there are now lots of good sized twigs under the tree, these are being ignored.  Presumably as they “don’t work”.

It's an inspector from the National Association of Nest Builders.
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Kim

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #578 on: 16 April, 2013, 03:21:35 pm »
CPC are having a heater sale.  I think that makes it official.

And I need to trim the Hedge before the $small_noisy_birds that are eyeing it up build a nest in it.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #579 on: 16 April, 2013, 09:51:28 pm »
Swallows arrived  today. Actually 2 were house martins, confirmed by other vols. plus one bird that seemed to have long tail streamers, but no-one else saw. This was at Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve, which has a fair amount of wetland (i.e. insects) & is probably a good refuelling stop for migrants heading further north.

But one swallow doesn't make a spring ;).

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #580 on: 16 April, 2013, 09:54:08 pm »
The sheffield stands at work were full today - it's officially spring.

Wowbagger

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #581 on: 16 April, 2013, 10:48:58 pm »
I heard a chiffchaff in the park today but still no ducklings. There are mallards of both sexes a-plenty but they seem to have taken a vow of chastity.

A couple of moorhens were displaying amusingly though - stylised swimming alongside each other with their necks outstretched and their beaks only just above the water.
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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #582 on: 17 April, 2013, 08:39:36 am »
On my way to work this morning

RJ

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #583 on: 19 April, 2013, 01:18:53 pm »
Heard and smelled today from the bike, rather than seen:  chicffchaff and blackcap; wild garlic (respectively).

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #584 on: 20 April, 2013, 03:27:00 pm »
Larks, lambs, yellowhammer and swallows!
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Wowbagger

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #585 on: 20 April, 2013, 06:06:20 pm »
Just before we reached the Humber Bridge this morning, a pointy-winged raptor which I think was a hobby.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #586 on: 20 April, 2013, 06:44:38 pm »
1. Went for a ride this morning and got a fly stuck in my eye.

2. Went for a wander around the park this afternoon, sat down on a bench and then got confused as I realised there were abnormal amounts of Bits Of Stuff landing around my feet and in the water for a radius of a few metres.



I looked up and there was a squirrel right above me having a good ol' feast, so there are - or at least were - a good supply of tasty green leaf shoots up there!

You can just about make it out in the middle of this photo.



The discarded outer leaves were raining down and bouncing off the branches in an impressive Bagatelle stylee :)

Pingu

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #587 on: 20 April, 2013, 09:14:52 pm »
More lambs:


IMG_1407 by The Pingus, on Flickr


IMG_1408 by The Pingus, on Flickr


IMG_1409 by The Pingus, on Flickr


IMG_1410 by The Pingus, on Flickr

a lower gear

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #588 on: 20 April, 2013, 09:56:38 pm »
Saw the first bat of the year this eveing, zooming around our garden when I went out to take the daily weather station readings (1 to 16 deg C; 1 SW; nil precipitation - just in case you were wondering)

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #589 on: 21 April, 2013, 11:16:01 pm »
We have bluebells, at least NE Worcs does, plus cow parlsey in flower, white & red deadnettles, a few clumps of cowslips, forget-me-nots, lots of coltsfoot and a patch of sweet violets (white, so easy to identify).

The celandines and primroses are having s truly spectactular year, though it's a bit odd that they're out together rather than sequentially.

Second swallow of the year flew through the middle of our CTC group at the meet point for the day's ride (Hollywood), at head height ;D  ;D

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #590 on: 22 April, 2013, 11:17:24 am »
I've not seen any bluebells here yet, & I was in prime bluebell country yesterday. Just leaves.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #591 on: 22 April, 2013, 07:29:01 pm »
i have not seen any in the chilterns over the weekend either. plenty of daffodils and primroses though  :)
the slower you go the more you see

Eccentrica Gallumbits

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #592 on: 22 April, 2013, 08:05:27 pm »
I saw a bee today in the Canongate - first one of the year. Then I saw one in the Pleasance later. I don't know if it was the same bee.
My feminist marxist dialectic brings all the boys to the yard.


Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #593 on: 23 April, 2013, 10:57:46 pm »
I've not seen any bluebells here yet, & I was in prime bluebell country yesterday. Just leaves.
I'm surprised. The few I saw were all on sheltered S. facing banks, but I'd normally expect our spring to be a couple of weeks later than yours.

Wowbagger

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #594 on: 23 April, 2013, 11:34:35 pm »
This week is normally time for cuckoos to start cuckooing. We have been in the vicinity of several likely during the past two or three days but without any sign of cucking and ooing.

They have definitely become less numerous over the past few years, but for some reason I would expect them to do what nightingales have done, i.e. limit their range to SE England rather than the rest of the country. Last year I saw several in Scotland and a few in Wales as well.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #595 on: 24 April, 2013, 12:23:07 am »
This week is normally time for cuckoos to start cuckooing. We have been in the vicinity of several likely during the past two or three days but without any sign of cucking and ooing.

They have definitely become less numerous over the past few years, but for some reason I would expect them to do what nightingales have done, i.e. limit their range to SE England rather than the rest of the country. Last year I saw several in Scotland and a few in Wales as well.
I had always thought that nightingales were primarily a bird of the SE. They were familiar to my dad, who came from Surrey, and that's the only place I've heard them. We never encountered any in the midlands. I'd have expected climate change to move their range further north, but am still waiting... btw I don't even know what they eat :o .

I think cuckoos might have different problems, though the decline in their numbers in the midlands has been (IME, so anecdotally) rapid over the last few years.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #596 on: 24 April, 2013, 12:30:43 pm »
First insect bites yesterday :o

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #597 on: 25 April, 2013, 10:08:00 am »
I've not seen any bluebells here yet, & I was in prime bluebell country yesterday. Just leaves.
I'm surprised. The few I saw were all on sheltered S. facing banks, but I'd normally expect our spring to be a couple of weeks later than yours.
What's your altitude? The not yet flowering bluebells which I've been cycling past are in Chiltern beech woods, mostly above 100 metres. There are plenty of other flowers out on sunny sheltered banks, but I've still not seen any bluebells.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

JennyB

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #598 on: 25 April, 2013, 12:47:32 pm »
Cows in the fields at last.  :)
Jennifer - Walker of hills

Eccentrica Gallumbits

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Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #599 on: 25 April, 2013, 01:06:34 pm »
A fly flew into my mouth yesterday  :sick: and I saw a butterfly  :D
My feminist marxist dialectic brings all the boys to the yard.