Author Topic: Signs of Spring  (Read 208681 times)

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #325 on: 12 April, 2011, 03:37:34 pm »
Bluebells starting to come out here in the Chilterns.  As are aqualegias.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #326 on: 16 April, 2011, 10:48:25 pm »
First red campions in flower on Thursday (Nature reserve at the bottom of Edge Hill).

On the ride home I spotted a cluster of 3 more on the roadside verge. I'm sure they weren't open when I rode past in the morning.

Bluebells are already carpeting the sunnier woodland edges & hedgebanks. No sign of wild garlic flowers yet, though. Lots of stitchwort on the verges, as well as primroses, violets, celandines (still not quite sure whether to open for business), dandelions, daisies, ladies smock, garlic mustard (the flowering tips are a nice salad vegetable), a few buttercups and quite a lot of cowslips. Spotted one big clump of wood anemones amongst the trees.

Heard my first skylark of the year.

Swallowed my first fly of the year.

CountrySickness

  • mostly puzzled
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #327 on: 17 April, 2011, 08:27:43 am »
Several Redstarts on my walk through the foothills of the Black Mts yesterday, only one let me see how spectacularly handsome he was though, the rest were just teases.

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #328 on: 17 April, 2011, 01:48:20 pm »
Several skylarks on the golf course at Harlech.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #329 on: 17 April, 2011, 02:44:20 pm »


Spring much later up here.
It is simpler than it looks.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #330 on: 17 April, 2011, 08:38:58 pm »
Yesterday, while digging in the garden, I saw a fox poke her head out of the old compost heap.  I think she's making a den there again, so we will see cubs playing in the garden soon, so long as I didn't disturb her too much.
Getting there...

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #331 on: 17 April, 2011, 11:42:09 pm »
Cuckoos and nightingales have been heard and seen in and around Southend, although not by me.

South East Essex RSPB Local Group - Latest Bird Reports refers.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #332 on: 19 April, 2011, 07:07:56 pm »
Put this in seen today, but should have been here:

a tadpole.
"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

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #333 on: 19 April, 2011, 08:18:42 pm »
We went to Two Tree Island and had a good view of a cuckoo, which did its stuff for quite a long time, and heard, I think, 4 nightingales, at one point simultaneously with the cuckoo. There were also a couple of pheasants making their noise. Substitute them for quails and it was like listening to Beethoven.

I love the nightingale's song.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #334 on: 20 April, 2011, 10:05:20 pm »
Put this in seen today, but should have been here:

a tadpole.
We (actually Mrs. N.) fished out tadpoles from the garden pond with a jam-jar yesterday for our granddaughter. I'm not sure sure she understood that they would become frogs, when(if) they grew up :).

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #335 on: 20 April, 2011, 10:06:27 pm »
Well, they won't if they are in a jam jar.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #336 on: 20 April, 2011, 10:24:57 pm »
Well, they won't if they are in a jam jar.
Is that true for all values of jam-jar? ;)

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #337 on: 20 April, 2011, 10:29:12 pm »
I don't think so. I raised a few tadpoles to froglets in jam jars as a teenager. They needed much love, daphnia and pondweed.

Quite a few disappeared, presumably gobbled by their sibs.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #338 on: 20 April, 2011, 10:37:57 pm »

Quite a few disappeared, presumably gobbled by their sibs.

That happens in the pond as well, which seems to be unduly popular with the frogs.

Popularity maybe because the frogs know that some of the neighbours have newts :-\ .

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #339 on: 20 April, 2011, 10:41:57 pm »
The first few flowers of hawthorn which literally opened during the day, complete with the heavy scent of may blossom. That was already attracting insects by 3 p.m.

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #340 on: 20 April, 2011, 11:16:49 pm »
The beech hedge is finaly turning green.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #341 on: 20 April, 2011, 11:22:49 pm »
The rowan tree in the close is giving off a very pleasant, though occasionally overpowering scent these last few days.

It almost makes me regret chopping down the rotten one in our garden when we moved in. Almost.
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #342 on: 21 April, 2011, 09:41:02 am »
Yes, I noticed hawthorn blossom on Sunday as we rode along the Wandle.

The sudden appearance of massive wisteria displays, and the more cautious lilacs, tell me that spring is pretty much established, as does catching the sweet scent of some flowers after dark in the next street.
Getting there...

RJ

  • Droll rat
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #343 on: 21 April, 2011, 01:24:25 pm »
Chiffchaffs.  Swallows.  Cricketers ...

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #344 on: 21 April, 2011, 02:17:41 pm »
The bluebells are out - the valley looks fantastic!  :thumbsup:

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #345 on: 21 April, 2011, 02:53:35 pm »
Yup. We've just got back from a bluebell walk through the beech woods near Satwell (S. Oxfordshire). Glorious! There are quite a few which aren't open yet, so it'll get even better.
"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

border-rider

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #346 on: 21 April, 2011, 05:43:36 pm »
A very cute lamb near Grosmont, yesterday

One of those teddy-sheep.


rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #347 on: 28 April, 2011, 10:00:41 pm »
Whole fields of dandelions.

Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Signs of Spring
« Reply #348 on: 30 April, 2011, 06:09:48 pm »
Mummy or Daddy robin feeding baby robins on the garden wall. The chicks are fledged, but still being fed, & the parents have been bringing them to our bird feeder the last few days. The chicks sit on the wall a metre or so away from the food & the parent shuttles back & forth.
"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 #349 on: 03 May, 2011, 10:24:55 pm »
There was a magnificent show of may blossom on the roadside hedge of the local egg factory. I commented on the splendour of it, certainly the best I've seen this year for many miles, to the proprieter. He reckoned that it's been by far the best show that he can remember. The hedge has not been attacked with the accursed flail mowers for decades, if ever. Predictably, I didn't take a camera when just riding a few miles to buy eggs...