11C here this morning. Today actually has that distinctive "smell of spring" in the air today. Lovely!

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The sunshine has brought a lot of daises in flower on the lawns today..

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The sunshine has brought a lot of daises in flower on the lawns today..

Just out of curiosity, but do daisies and dandelion flower all year round in your area? 

The sunshine has brought a lot of daises in flower on the lawns today..

That's a nice image Art. These flowers come forth in spates whenever the weather is benevolent- nice to hear you're getting a little taster of spring. I hope we'll be there soon too, with a few days of 12C maxima and even a 15C forecast for slightly inland areas on Monday. They say, a foot on 12 daisies and it's spring!

 

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Most noticeable things these last few days.
Warming inside the car, in sunshine. Thermostat gets set to 'cooling' rather than 'heating' the car. A/C still set to off though.
Strong sense of warmth in our small conservatory, as soon as any sun is out.

Let's add some colour to this thread...

All photos taken this afternoon :)

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of tête-à-tête daffodils, purple and yellow crocuses. Yesterday one tiny rose bud bloomed. Current mild spell definitely bringing on some spring signs - but it won't last. Gale force winds due next week and northerly winds later in the week.

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I recorded a minute of birdsong today at Wigmore castle. Played it back this evening, and it was essence of early spring. A very different sound from summer birdsong (as featured at the start of Coldplay's hymn for the weekend) but also very distinct from the chirruping robins you get on calm days in midwinter.

Incidentally if you've not been in North Herefordshire in spring please go. In fact go at any time of year.

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We're in a little spring nook here. 16.4C, multi-coloured crocuses sprayed across the north lawns, frogs croaking under the bridge over the pond; snowdrops nodding along our woodland bank and pulmonaria peppering the Med garden. There are bees flirting with the perfume from the mahonia and buds peeping  out on the soft fruits. I've been out in this weirdly strong-feeling sun in a t- shirt and  will now return. Happy day.

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We're in a little spring nook here. 16.4C, multi-coloured crocuses sprayed across the north lawns, frogs croaking under the bridge over the pond; snowdrops nodding along our woodland bank and pulmonaria peppering the Med garden. There are bees flirting with the perfume from the mahonia and buds peeping  out on the soft fruits. I've been out in this weirdly strong-feeling sun in a t- shirt and  will now return. Happy day.

These sort of moments are one of the highlights of the year IMO.

A good blizzard, a cracking thunderstorm or a blistering heatwave are all great, but these first days of early spring when you realise the endless gloom is slowly coming to an end lift the mood more than any other time of year for me.

 

 

Had the window open this afternoon to let fresh air into my famed west-facing hobby room.

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A good blizzard, a cracking thunderstorm or a blistering heatwave are all great, but these first days of early spring when you realise the endless gloom is slowly coming to an end lift the mood more than any other time of year for me.  

 

Just a random musing, but I like spring the least of the four seasons (and by quite a distance). It signals the end of hope for a kind of catastrophic, history-making winter snow event that would stretch on for a few weeks.

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Been working in Liverpool the last few days and surprised just how far ahead Spring is there Daffs in full bloom when barely out the ground back home.

 

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Yesterday brought forth the blossom on the damson and mirabelle trees, in thick, downy-white clouds. Last year, their early emergence led to a dearth of fruit in August because it was too early for pollinators.

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We had snow April 25th and Graupel on the 26th April 2016.   So a little bit of winter may hang on...

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We had snow April 25th and Graupel on the 26th April 2016.   So a little bit of winter may hang on...

I had snow that accumulated on the morning of April 29 and further snow showers throughout that day. The time period for when snow can fall and accumulate is still far from over.

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If anything I would say we are getting more snow out of winter season in recent times.

March 2013 was one of the most wintry spells in memory here.

March 2016 - Several significant snowfalls.
28 April 2016 . Disruptive snowfall.
9th November 2016 . Disruptive snowfall. Further lighter snowfall later in month heavier in West.

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I'm up in the northeast at the moment and I must say it looks like deep winter (-snow) with no sign of spring!!!

Back home spring is in full swing with daffodils, snow drops, crocus, plum blossom all in flower. Trees have new leafs opening, and most song birds have returned. Bees, and hoverflys are once again numerous in parks & gardens. Oh and the sun feels so much nicer then it does up here in the north.

First celandines seen in flower today (24/2) Not systematically recorded, but first flowering of these noted in this area on 26/1/05, 6/3/06, 18/2/07, 2/3/10, 25/1/11, 1/2/12, 22/2/14, 17/2/15, so about average.

 

Observations on cherry plum (looks like blackthorn, but flowers before leaves, and earlier) are more patchy. It was out today in this area, previously 16/3/09, 14/3/13, 22/2/14, 31/3/15, so an early year for this.

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Just noticed how my front garden's cotoneaster hedge is starting to look "fluffy" with new shoots in places.

Soon be the hedge cutting season, not to mention giving the lawn the second cut of the year.  

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