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Signs of Spring

wildlife, gardening, environment, Rural living, Pets and Vets
Dod101
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Signs of Spring

#196805

Postby Dod101 » January 27th, 2019, 9:05 am

I notice my first snowdrops are showing their colour this morning in Southern Perthshire. It is also trying to snow!

Dod

redsturgeon
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Re: Signs of Spring

#196812

Postby redsturgeon » January 27th, 2019, 10:12 am

First croci coming into bloom for me down in sunny Winchester.

John

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Re: Signs of Spring

#196821

Postby PinkDalek » January 27th, 2019, 11:25 am

Two of our red roses are still flowering. Not yet Winter here.

scotia
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Re: Signs of Spring

#196905

Postby scotia » January 27th, 2019, 6:41 pm

It was perishing at the loch this morning - a NW wind gusting to 40mph. But there hasn't yet been a real winter - no ice on the loch, and very little snow on the hills. But the forecast suggests this is all likely to change in the coming week, with snow and deep frosts. I think I'll postpone my early seed planting.

jackdaww
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Re: Signs of Spring

#196967

Postby jackdaww » January 28th, 2019, 8:28 am

redsturgeon wrote:First croci coming into bloom for me down in sunny Winchester.

John


======================

same here in west wales. (yellow).

:)

mike
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Re: Signs of Spring

#196989

Postby mike » January 28th, 2019, 10:19 am

I was in the Lake District for a few days at the end of last week, and saw an almost carpet of crocuses in full bloom in the gounds of Penrith church, and hazel catkins nicely extended in Borrowdale.

UncleEbenezer
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Re: Signs of Spring

#197560

Postby UncleEbenezer » January 30th, 2019, 11:54 am

Got lots of small white flowers at the bottom of the garden. At low level, heather, and at bush level laurustinum.

More interesting, the bumblebees. Plenty of them, and they seem to have been around continually for most if not all of January. Yesterday was as cold as any day we've had, yet one buzzed up to me (some way from the flowers) as I went out in the afternoon.

BhotiPila
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199127

Postby BhotiPila » February 5th, 2019, 6:43 pm

Saw the first isolated groups of 2-3 European swallows last week, swooping over the newly harvested wheat and barley fields in the Eastern Ethiopian Highlands. Their numbers will build, particularly over the Central and Western Highlands, over the next months as larger flocks arrive, before they disappear again in early March. Saw them moving south last November as well, I always wonder where they have been and where they are going.
On the other side of the continent, at similar latitude, the cuckoos have begun their movement north. Selbourne leading after taking a sneaky short-cut across the Gulf of Guinea . . . .
https://www.bto.org/science/migration/t ... CNZDL5%2C1

BP

Skotch
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199221

Postby Skotch » February 6th, 2019, 8:31 am

I was gazing out of my window yesterday watching the birds on the feeders in the garden and noticed a couple of blue tits paying close attention to a bird box I put up a few years ago. Its never been used so fingers crossed a mating pair settles in there this year

madhatter
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199335

Postby madhatter » February 6th, 2019, 3:39 pm

Skotch wrote:I was gazing out of my window yesterday watching the birds on the feeders in the garden and noticed a couple of blue tits paying close attention to a bird box I put up a few years ago. Its never been used so fingers crossed a mating pair settles in there this year


I understand they are very particular about the diameter of the entry hole. Blue tits and great tits have different requirements.

Also for some reason they will often appear to peck around the edge of the hole. I used to assume that meant the hole needed to be enlarged, and duly enlarged it, but the blue tits rejected it and great tits moved in.

I have since read that the pecking is just something they do, even when the hole is correct.

madhatter
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199341

Postby madhatter » February 6th, 2019, 3:47 pm

Had snowdrops in flower for nearly three weeks.

Bluebell leaves appearing. My frequent visits from a non-singing (female?) robin have become less frequent, but there are now two robins sometimes close to each other without fighting, and occasional robin singing, so perhaps they now hold a larger territory.

Niger seed is still being taken but usually without my seeing the goldfinches which seem to be the only customers for that.

Woodpigeons now stripping ivy berries.

tjh290633
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199368

Postby tjh290633 » February 6th, 2019, 6:11 pm

I put some bluebells in last year, and the first flower is now appearing. Six mini-clumps appear to be coming up nicely. The location is behind a north-facing fence (i.e. on the north side). The first lavender crocuses are just flowering, and bluebell leaves are showing. I have masses of summer snowflakes, whose leaves are prolific, but too early for them to flower.

TJH

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Re: Signs of Spring

#199726

Postby Nimrod103 » February 7th, 2019, 9:27 pm

tjh290633 wrote:I put some bluebells in last year, and the first flower is now appearing. Six mini-clumps appear to be coming up nicely. The location is behind a north-facing fence (i.e. on the north side). The first lavender crocuses are just flowering, and bluebell leaves are showing. I have masses of summer snowflakes, whose leaves are prolific, but too early for them to flower.

TJH


I hope they are English bluebells, and not the dreaded Spanish imported variety?

tjh290633
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199739

Postby tjh290633 » February 7th, 2019, 10:12 pm

Nimrod103 wrote:
tjh290633 wrote:I put some bluebells in last year, and the first flower is now appearing. Six mini-clumps appear to be coming up nicely. The location is behind a north-facing fence (i.e. on the north side). The first lavender crocuses are just flowering, and bluebell leaves are showing. I have masses of summer snowflakes, whose leaves are prolific, but too early for them to flower.

TJH


I hope they are English bluebells, and not the dreaded Spanish imported variety?

Should have said snowdrops. I have loads of bluebells, which include both sorts. Blue, white and pink. Again, they were here before our house was built. Scattered all over the place.

TJH

Nimrod103
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199852

Postby Nimrod103 » February 8th, 2019, 11:00 am

tjh290633 wrote:
Nimrod103 wrote:
tjh290633 wrote:I put some bluebells in last year, and the first flower is now appearing. Six mini-clumps appear to be coming up nicely. The location is behind a north-facing fence (i.e. on the north side). The first lavender crocuses are just flowering, and bluebell leaves are showing. I have masses of summer snowflakes, whose leaves are prolific, but too early for them to flower.

TJH


I hope they are English bluebells, and not the dreaded Spanish imported variety?

Should have said snowdrops. I have loads of bluebells, which include both sorts. Blue, white and pink. Again, they were here before our house was built. Scattered all over the place.

TJH


Oh dear. From what I have seen, pink and white varieties are Spanish thugs, along with blue (often a paler blue than English). They can be recognized as Spanish by having a broader leaf, lacking in scent, flowers all around the stalk rather than down one side only, and quite successfully invasive. There is a worry that, in time, they will hybridize with and replace the English bluebell.
In my area, the problem is also 3 cornered garlic, another Spanish invader, which spreads abominably.

bungeejumper
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Re: Signs of Spring

#199913

Postby bungeejumper » February 8th, 2019, 1:43 pm

Nimrod103 wrote:I hope they are English bluebells, and not the dreaded Spanish imported variety?

British as can be. Why, I had them specially imported from Gibraltar. :D

BJ

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Re: Signs of Spring

#200030

Postby Nimrod103 » February 8th, 2019, 7:35 pm

bungeejumper wrote:
Nimrod103 wrote:I hope they are English bluebells, and not the dreaded Spanish imported variety?

British as can be. Why, I had them specially imported from Gibraltar. :D

BJ


The only good bluebell to be found in the Mediterranean area:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Bluebell_(K80)

scotia
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Re: Signs of Spring

#203502

Postby scotia » February 23rd, 2019, 9:21 pm

I heard a blackbird whistling enthusiastically this evening. Spring is in the air!

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Re: Signs of Spring

#203524

Postby Itsallaguess » February 24th, 2019, 5:27 am

We did a 'lift the bed' hoover of the main bedroom.

If there's a surer sign of spring, then in all my years I've yet to discover it....

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

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Re: Signs of Spring

#203645

Postby 88V8 » February 25th, 2019, 9:52 am

A couple of days ago the frogs appeared in our pond.

And we have a magnolia flowering, one bud at any rate.

On the negative side, I already had to cut the grass. PO was very lawn-proud, it has gone downhill somewhat since. We were told by a PO from the 70s that when they bought, what is now the main lawn was put down to leeks. Sounds a much better idea to me.
Not that I have anything against lawns, so long they are owned by other people.

V8


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