Signs of spring?

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Signs of spring?
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Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 11:53 am Post subject: Signs of spring?

I know it's early but the fruit trees are budding quite nicely, the daff's are a good six inches high in places, less so in others, the grass/weeds also seem to be starting to grow again in places.

Oh, and the field next to us has a dozen lambs bouncing around in it.

We've had a mildish wet winter with some frost earlier in the year. I'm a bit worried that a cold snap could do some serious damage.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 12:00 pm Post subject:
Not that much here yet apart from lambs. The caravans don't seem to have started migrating yet. Everything's covered in mud if that counts.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 12:04 pm Post subject:
Over the weekend I noticed a blue tit investigating a nest box and a butterfly flying about, I think the butterfly was a one off though as I still expect 6inches of snow over easter.

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 12:06 pm Post subject:
I've not spotted any obvious signs of spring here at all, I think it's going to be milder this week but generally we've had a lot of bitter cold wet days, I have to kit out in hat and gloves etc just to walk around the block!

Aled

Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Anglesey

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 12:40 pm Post subject:
tulips are poking their heads up, but they were very early last year as well. the really bitterly cold weather that was forcast hasn't arrived yet - is that still on the cards?

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 12:55 pm Post subject:
Yes - I'm on hiliday in february.

Penelope Anderson

Joined: 21 Sep 2005
Posts: 326
Location: london

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 4:21 pm Post subject:
Snowdrop in the garden but as a friend pointed out "one snowdrop doesn't make a spring." Bluetits round the nesting box, but I'll wait til the frogs emerge before confirmation. I feel pretty sure it will snow blankets in March.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 5:25 pm Post subject:
Weeds.

Loopy Lou

Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 263
Location: Northamptonshire

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 5:30 pm Post subject:
Lots of snowdrops starting to show, can just see the tips of daffodils too. Today I heard a bird - not sure what - singing it's heart out, was lovely!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46220
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 6:18 pm Post subject:
germinations .

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 06 6:36 pm Post subject:

Penelope Anderson wrote:

but I'll wait til the frogs emerge before confirmation. I feel pretty sure it will snow blankets in March.

Did you get a cold snap after the first round of frogs spawn last year? We did and I was reminded just the other day by a nature programme on the TV. IIRC we also had a very late frost that slowed everything down, we could do with the cold now to stop to early a spring.

Penelope Anderson

Joined: 21 Sep 2005
Posts: 326
Location: london

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 10:48 am Post subject:

Yes we did, and the frogs went back into hibernation again - at least they didn't reappear for a month or so.
It would be good to have a proper cold snap now, good for the soil, and the daffs etc might not go over so soon.
But cold snaps in this country come at the oddest times - there was one year, when my kids were young, that the school bus couldn't get up the hill to our village because of deep snow. It was the first of JUNE !!!!

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 11:24 am Post subject:
Bizarrely, I was checking our drains in early november, and there were several baby frogs in there. I've also disturbed several around the stream during the winter.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45672
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 11:27 am Post subject:
Plenty of trees looking to burst into leaf by the looks of things round our way

Karen70

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 10
Location: Svartland, Mercia

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 11:27 am Post subject:
We had a cold snap after the frogs had emerged but as there was only one lot of spawn I think they knew it was coming. In 2004 they'd spawned the end of January and there was no cold snap after that. The main spawning last year wasn't until March. I've found them to be a pretty good weather indicator. Wassail Karen

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