First signs of Spring 2015 (1 Viewer)

[lazza]

Lovely to be out in the local Choppington Community Woodland with my two 7-year olds yesterday, despite the strong winds. Had our first singing skylarks of the year over the nearby farmland, and one end of the pond was filled with frogspawn and writhing frogs ("Daddy, why are those frogs fighting?"!!). Some parts of the wood were nicely carpeted in snowdrops, while territorial disputes were in full swing in other areas (didn't realise how aggressive goldcrests can be to each other!)

 

[Sy V]

16 Avocet reported to have returned to the Upton Warren (WORCS) breeding colony yesterday.

 

[chris butterworth]

Sure it's Blackthorn Prunus spinosa, and not Cherry Plum Prunus cerasifera? The two are very often confused, with Cherry Plum flowering 2-4 weeks earlier :t:

Definitely Blackthorn. Big thorns on blackish twigs and the remains of last years galled fruit ( Pocket Plums Taphrina pruni ) still present.

 

[lewis20126]

Late to this thread but my favourite (very) early sign of Spring on the Hampshire coast is (calling) Med Gull. They have been passing over / through east in very small numbers (usually in parts) since mid Feb, often first picked up on call.

Another early sign is the spring push of Spoonbills along the south coast - this seems to be getting earlier each year and started in early-mid Feb this year.

Reed Bunting singing at a site yesterday.

cheers, alan

 

[Sy V]

16 Avocet reported to have returned to the Upton Warren (WORCS) breeding colony yesterday.

Twenty Avocets this morning!

 

[delia todd]

I saw a House Sparrow with a feather in her beak this morning. I didn't know they nested so early.

 

[Himalaya]

First sings of spring or signs if winter still on going? In East Lancashire there has been some snow fall. I don't know if other areas have received any snow.

How has the winter been so far? Is it classed as a colder than average winter?

 

[Xenospiza]

First (two) singing Grey Wagtails today, as well as a Stock Dove in display flight.

 

[Richard Prior]

I was down around Geneva yesterday and heard my first Blackbird song of the year, singing Skylarks (when the rain stopped!), and best of all, a flock of 11 White Storks battling northwards. At home the snow has all slid off our roof, breaking branches off the apple tree and burying one of the feeders (the Blue Tits keep coming to the tree to look for it!). Still no Song Thrush song yet........

 

[Peter C.]

First American Robin heard "clucking" in the pre-dawn, in front of the house (as a shovelled another 4cm of snow off the front walk!).

Yea, yea, I know, robins aren't a sign of spring around here, they're a resident species - but this is different. Due to a severe failure of all sorts of wild fruit crop last summer (which was in turn due to a severe ice storm of late December '13) we've had virtually no frugivorous birds around all winter - I haven't seen or heard a waxwing or a robin in my city since last December.

So a robin in my neighbourhood is definitely novel, although just what it signifies, seasonally-speaking, is by no means certain; temps haven't been above zero since one exceptional brief period in mid-January, and forecast for tonight is -17º - again. :-( . Yeesh.

 

[Boro Birder]

Chaffinch's mating, plenty of tits pairing up on my local patch and I am a early riser and dawn chorus is getting better. Tawny Owl on a camera link on fb on 3 eggs but that's nothing unusua, had a Tawny on 3 eggs on the 3 February and Grey Heron on eggs last year Feb the 5th.

Damian

 

[gw4aurora]

My wintering Blackcaps have been singing in the garden for the last few days, tits taking material into boxes and Robin on eggs.

 

[Chris-Leeds]

First sings of spring or signs if winter still on going? In East Lancashire there has been some snow fall. I don't know if other areas have received any snow.

How has the winter been so far? Is it classed as a colder than average winter?

It's not been that cold this winter really, the weather forecasters reckon it's been the sunniest on record too.

 

[Boro Birder]

Pair of Great Crested Grebes back on my local patch earliest date in the 3 years since they started breeding there 3 years ago and a pair of Chaffinch Mating.

Damian

 

[MJB]

Our local Dartford Warblers were very active while the sunshine lasted yesterday!
MJB:t:

 

[halftwo]

Robin building, Kestrels displaying, lots of stuff singing.

Spring comes late up here though.

Has anyone seen a real spring migrant yet?

 

[chris butterworth]

Our local Dartford Warblers were very active while the sunshine lasted yesterday!
MJB:t:

The ones on Bwlch Sychnant were showing well today, even if there was still quite a bit of snow around. There were 3 male Black Grouse sniffing around the World's End lek and a dozen or so Fulmar were wheeling around the quarries behind Llanfairfechan. I had my first Bombus pratorum yesterday ( lots of them today ) and there are Andrena haemorrhoa around the catkins on the Sallow in the garden.

 

[chris butterworth]

Has anyone seen a real spring migrant yet?

If the weather stays like this, there's a chance of the first White Wagtail turning up on the Wirral this weekend. B

 

[KenM]

It's been wall to wall blue "D-a-arn Sa-a-rf" today, with a rise in temperature, (had to take my coat off!) and my first Brimstone of the year!

 

[Jon Turner]

Wheatear at Marazion today!