Author Topic: Signs of Spring (Read 90745 times)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #375 on:** February 23, 2012, 10:40:39 pm »

If it was drumming, it was a GSW.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #376 on:** February 23, 2012, 10:58:33 pm »

Frogs are out here, hopping round the streets and getting themselves squashed.

Chris S · « **Reply #377 on:** February 24, 2012, 09:09:10 am »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on February 23, 2012, 10:58:33 pm

Frogs are out here, hopping round the streets and getting themselves squashed.

Yup - noticed that here this morning; the lanes are littered with squashed frogs

JayP · « **Reply #378 on:** February 24, 2012, 09:59:02 am »

Quote from: Chris S on February 24, 2012, 09:09:10 am

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on February 23, 2012, 10:58:33 pm
Frogs are out here, hopping round the streets and getting themselves squashed.

Yup - noticed that here this morning; the lanes are littered with squashed frogs

Its motorists driven to kermit murder

Wowbagger · « **Reply #379 on:** February 24, 2012, 10:24:03 am »

Quote from: JayP on February 24, 2012, 09:59:02 am

Quote from: Chris S on February 24, 2012, 09:09:10 am
Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on February 23, 2012, 10:58:33 pm
Frogs are out here, hopping round the streets and getting themselves squashed.

Yup - noticed that here this morning; the lanes are littered with squashed frogs
Its motorists driven to kermit murder

Is that why you call yourself JayP?

citoyen · « **Reply #380 on:** February 24, 2012, 10:45:01 am »

Quote from: Wowbagger on February 23, 2012, 10:40:39 pm

If it was drumming, it was a GSW.

I've just had a listen to the sound files on the RSPB website and I reckon it's probably a lesser spotted woodpecker - according to the site, they tend to operate higher up in the trees, and they drum in longer bursts, which seems to match up with what I heard.

But I've seen both great and lesser spotted woodpeckers in the woods next to our house (and indeed a green woodpecker is a regular visitor to our garden), so it could be either.

d.

CountrySickness · « **Reply #381 on:** February 24, 2012, 08:00:04 pm »

Lots of frogs out on the rural lanes tonight and a garden pond full of frog spawn. All the dragonfly nymphs in there are queuing up and waiting for the hatching to start

Wowbagger · « **Reply #382 on:** February 24, 2012, 08:25:45 pm »

Mini-daffodils, Priory Park, this afternoon.

The big ones will be blooming in a few days.

I can remember the Good Old Days when my dad, who was Seriously Welsh, was incredulous that we'd had such a mild winter that the daffodils were in bloom for St. David's Day.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #383 on:** February 25, 2012, 07:57:36 pm »

A little purple crocus in our gardenlet. Quite likely the builder will step on it when he next turns up.

Rhys W · « **Reply #384 on:** February 25, 2012, 08:59:50 pm »

4 people in my club have been boasting on facebook that they've been in out in shorts today. It was 12 deg C, not 22.

Gus · « **Reply #385 on:** February 26, 2012, 08:53:04 am »

It must be spring, I've been out running

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #386 on:** February 26, 2012, 10:16:19 pm »

Saw a horserider with no sleeves whatsoever!

Basil · « **Reply #387 on:** February 26, 2012, 10:19:57 pm »

Orion has now moved over much further to the west in the evening. Always a sign tome that winter is almost over.

jogler · « **Reply #388 on:** February 26, 2012, 10:30:10 pm »

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://wheels-and-wings.org.uk/images/Ford-Orion-RS-1600-Cosworth.jpg&imgrefurl=http://wheels-and-wings.org.uk/ford-orion-rs-1600-cosworth.htm&h=253&w=287&sz=21&tbnid=aRR5ZPSa2eI8CM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=108&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dford%2Borion%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=ford+orion&docid=57e9X9FYp60tHM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TbJKT-f9NYX18QPShYGPDg&sqi=2&ved=0CEoQ9QEwBA&dur=3843

Basil · « **Reply #389 on:** February 26, 2012, 10:33:23 pm »

Crumbling Nick · « **Reply #390 on:** February 27, 2012, 08:11:03 pm »

Many more birds were singing today.

The skylarks were in fine form - I counted 8 during the 60 miles. Only 1 remained mute, flying up to about 20m before descending in the usual style.

There were lots of yellowhammers too - probably more than in recent years. None had the full song - the final long note was missed out & I was unsure about identification until the third one showed up on the top of the roadside hedge.

The song thrushes are starting to sound a bit more plausible.

A couple of lambs - first sighting this year - were suckling in the Vale of Evesham. There may have been more in the field, but the hedge limited the view.

No-one else was cycling in shorts.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #391 on:** February 29, 2012, 10:24:20 am »

Quote from: Wowbagger on February 27, 2011, 11:46:37 am

Forsythia and frogspawn. I don't recall seeing frogspawn in Feb before. I'm sure it's all doomed.

The daffodil heads are bending over and some of them have yellow showing, but they are not properly out yet. Tomorrow or Tuesday I reckon.

Comparison time!

I've not seen any frogspawn yet but there are some daffodils out in the park. I would imagine that the daffodils' development is ongoing and, because January and the second half of February have been so mild, they just lay dormant for the frozen fortnight earlier in the month. Frogs, I suppose, have to be much more opportunistic.

CountrySickness · « **Reply #392 on:** February 29, 2012, 04:53:07 pm »

Two lots of frog spawn sitting on top of different grass tussocks today, presumably squeezed out of the former Mrs Frog before she was eaten by a fox/badger/otter, a proper springtime death that

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #393 on:** March 01, 2012, 11:40:35 am »

Now two crocussessessiiss in the garden.

Riggers · « **Reply #394 on:** March 01, 2012, 03:22:43 pm »

2 big glops of frogspawn in pond in garden. 1 big splosh from frog in said pond. Billions of crocusuesues on lawns gong out towards universities. Brighton.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #395 on:** March 02, 2012, 12:29:24 pm »

A brood of 10 mallard duckings. That's a fantastic achievement: the incubation period is about 4 weeks so the mother was sitting on eggs during the harshest of weather.

I've got a photo on my phone which I'll upload in a bit.

Edit: this forum's first mention of mallard duckings last year was on 25th March by Snakehips.

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=29530.msg896917#msg896917 refers.

Snakehips · « **Reply #396 on:** March 02, 2012, 07:01:16 pm »

I've seen several Parakeets seemingly checking out nest holes in trees recently. Yesterday I saw a pair of GC Grebes doing their head bobbing routine.

LindaG · « **Reply #397 on:** March 02, 2012, 08:01:58 pm »

A jack russell terrier eating crocus flowers from his lawn

CountrySickness · « **Reply #398 on:** March 03, 2012, 01:31:41 pm »

Primroses and Dog's mercury in flower and addding different levels of brightness to the Monmouthshire lanes this morning.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #399 on:** March 03, 2012, 10:01:23 pm »

Several bumblebees, some of them big, fat, bumbly ones and some slimmer and svelter, but no honeybees or wasps yet.

Author Topic: Signs of Spring (Read 90745 times)

LindaG