Spring is Coming!

[katyjay 5,091]

No sign of spring here, it snowed just about all day yesterday, on top of the several feet we've still got. More expected on Tuesday, oh what joy.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

It's that transition period here, possibility of frosts still, but usually in the low 60's this time of year, or higher with the winds from the south.

[Beefsteak 305]

I recall a Black Redstart sticking it's pretty little head up in the Carlton area in about 1970. I didn't get to see it myself, but one of the girls in my class at St Pauls told us (She had to get on a chair at the front of the class and spout lucidly on the subject)

I was down on the Algarve in 2002 at the Fortaleza de Sagres (End of the world as they called it , it is the most south westerly part of mainland Europe) and found a facinating 'touch screen' all about the migratory birds that are seen there. Included were Fan tailed Warblers and Bee Eaters, I commented to SWMBO on the subject and said I would love to see a Bee Eater, when lo and behold , four feet in front of me , a Bee Eater and a fan Tailed Warbler side by side on a little fence . !!1 Great place to go , well worth the effort.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Well my plum tree has bud burst and won't be long before the humming birds start arriving now!

[.... 23]

Taking a few walks last week in the surrounding countryside, the birds seem to be quite active at long last. At Bestwood Country Park yesterday morning two Skylarks were chasing each other around and making a lot of fuss, twenty feet above our heads. What a pleasure to see.

The best sighting of Snowdrops I've seen so far was at Denton in the Vale of Belvoir at the frontage of the old manor house on the Harston Road. Absolutely outstanding. A great bonus was a pair of Buzzards looking down on us from their position high up in a tree in the neighbouring field.

Spring is just around the corner.

[plantfit 7,638]

Got the info off "lincs bird club" website,(some good pictures of it on there by the way) went over on Thursday evening on me way home from work but didn't see anything, same again Friday lunchtime but on Saturday there was two guy's with binoculars in a gateway where I looked previously but saw nowt, I parked in the layby, walked back to them and it was on the fence about 50 mts in front, it then took flight and sat in the tree above us then a short flight over the road and perched in the tree above my car, brilliant except i didn't have me camera, went again yesterday with camera and just manage a couple of distance shots (where's beefsteak when you want him?) not too great but I know what it is, apparently there's only about 15 in the Uk this spring, this is the third "lifer" for me in as many years, last year the Waxwing, year before Montagu's harrier, wonder whats next?

Rog

[firbeck 860]

The blackbirds have decided to build a nest in the hedge next to the robin box, with a pair of dunnocks nesting on the other side. This has annoyed the robins and they have decided to move next door, no mealworms from me this year then!!!

The sparrow hawks, while exciting to watch, are causing a bit of a problem at the moment, they're lurking all the time, one did an amazing bit of low level flying this morning in order to try to get his breakfast off my bird table, they have a rival in a rare buzzard though, he was hanging around on sunday morning.

The constant ice on the pond has caused a big growth of algae which seems to have upset the frogs to the extent that they have decided to sit forlornly in next doors pond, which isn't very inspiring, one loyal friend seems happy though. I've just put a big net of barley straw in there to sort the problem out, until the aquatic plants start their growth and oxygenate the water, it's going to be a bit of a problem.

It was about 18 degC here yesterday, not so pleasant today, loads of daffs, crocuses and primroses in the back garden now though and the tulips are developing rapidly.

[Ashley 288]

"and go out side with a kettle of hot water to 'do' the windscreens" Just seen this, Now I know you've been doing it for years (I used to) but given the right ( or wrong!) conditions there'll be a sudden ping come crack and the whole screen will go, esp the heated (weakened) rear one. Mine was a firms van, I pleaded ignorance to the window repair man sent out to me, he gave a sort of knowing smile and said his 7th such that morning

[Beefsteak 305]

(Stage whisper):-

SSSSH!! Ash, I'll give you a clue. It all depends on the tempreture of the water you use, and you don't pour it direct on the screen. But don't tell any body , it's a secret !!

[mick2me 3,033]

You shouldv said like Gavin the Autoglass man!

You had a chip in your widscreen, and you drove over a bump!

Cold water from the tap is just fine BTW

[Ashley 288]

Cold water from the tap freezes though and you finish up with even thicker ice! the water I used was only just tepid , the chap said caused by prolonged minus temp and van not used over weekend, In finish I made a box with 2 light bulbs in, left that on dasboard wired in over night and when I got up turned such on from in house, by time I'd had brekkie and tea screen was clear, my top of the range new ghia (£550 off ebay) has heated windscreen so don't have that problem now

[Beefsteak 305]

Ash, c'mere....sssh!! ..................giggle.............hic!

Step 1, Run warm water onto the roof, just above the windscreen, 2. allow it to flow over windscreen, 3. pull wipers off of screen to ensure they aren't stuck down, 4. place wipers back on screen, 5. switch on wipers, wipe screen once, 6. repeat steps 1,2,4 and 5, et voilà!! one clean screen.

If that doesn't work,

1(a) Use the ice to make a large Vodka and Tonic, 2. Drink large Vodka and Tonic. 3. Ring work and tell them you're sick. Repeat steps 1(a) and 2(a) at least 5 more times!! Then go up to the Missus and make googly eyes at her.

[plantfit 7,638]

Is spring a bit early this year? Sand Martins have been arriving over the east coast for the last few days and just a handful of swallows, the Martins are maybe a couple of weeks early but the swallows more like a month, follow their progress on "lincs bird club" website

Rog

[Beefsteak 305]

I'm positive I saw a Swallow last month (Fleeting glimpse) but my Daffs are still no where near blooming!!!

[plantfit 7,638]

Not forgetting that iconic British sound to announce the official arrival of the British spring,,,,the sound of the lawnmower engine refusing to start quickly followed by the foul and abusive language from the British gardener

Rog

[Beefsteak 305]

I sit on this computer , "ears like a 541t house rat" to coin a phrase Rog !!, listening out for aero engines , grabbing the camera and my youngest and running outside to see what's coming (Usually a helecopter) On Tuesday this week, I'm doing just that , hear a Wocka, Wocka, Wocka, grab said camera an youngster , we run outside , to discover neighbour mowing his front lawn !!!!

[mick2me 3,033]

I think you could make quite a living doing aviation impersonations Beefsteak.

Can you do the spitfire?

[Beefsteak 305]

Only a Merlin can do that justice !!!

[plantfit 7,638]

WOW and I thought it was only prince William that used a Chinook for personal use, how big is your neighbors lawn?? !rotfl!

Rog

[firbeck 860]

I recall that last year the swallows were a bit late and conspicious by their absence around here. The earliest arrivals I ever saw was huge flock of house martins flying around Melbourne Hall Lake in Derbyshire, 30/3/89, yes I used to be so keen I wrote these things in the back of my bird book for 25 years, average first appearance for swallows seems to be about the 16th of April. My missus saw a warbler that we think was possibly a chiff chaff at the stables yesterday, so things are arriving.

We have blackbirds building a nest one side of the robin box and dunnocks on the other, the robins are peed off and seem to have gone next door, I bet they'll be back when they want their mealworms.

On friday I put a net full of barley straw in the pond to remove the algae, it's had an instant effect, all the slime on the surface has gone after two days and my froggy pals have quit next door and arrived en masse, the noise was like the Brazilian jungle last night.

Yesterday morning was spent in the company of our local conservation group planting trees down the river, we put in about half a dozen alder, oak and silver birch, unfortunately, it hasn't done my back any good. After that we went over to an adjacent estate and helped another group to plant some there, they look after the UK's smallest nature reserve, it's a tiny patch of bog hemmed in by peoples back gardens, but allegedly contains every rare orchid, bog plant and amphibian in the UK, fascinating place, amazing how it survives, but it does, David Bellamy keeps an eye on it apparently, there you go, 35 years in the area and I knew nothing about it, lets hope the vandals don't either.

Meanwhile, digging a hole through some ropey ground nearby to put in a silver birch, I came across all kinds of junk, I was told it was originally a rubbish dump in the war, I bet the trees will love that, but I dug up a couple of interesting tea spoons. One of them is lovely, with essay marks, looking it up it's an 18th century George III solid silver spoon made in London, we think we know the makers, the other one I've just washed under the tap to reveal more essay marks, I suspect it's silver plated though, we'll have to look those up on the net. They need a further 12 trees planting over there, I shall be over to help like a shot!!!

Fantastic day today, warm without a cloud in sight, it's supposed to be like it all day, goodo.

[firbeck 860]

Only a Merlin can do that justice !!!

Try telling that to the BBMF crew who look after the Mk XIX's.

[Beefsteak 305]

Nah the Griffin ain't a patch on the merlin!!!

I said to SWMBO and the kids at 10.00am

"Right switch off the Nintendos, get dressed , it's a lovely day , Mummys' (SWMBO) off work, lets get out and do something, and maybe grab a bite of lunch"

"OK" says SWMBO, "I just have to have a shower"

She then decides to put the kids in the shower too, then we have to wait for the washing machine to finish , 'so that the stuff can go on the line', "Otherwise they won't have any clean school uniforms "

You can see the time, I'm still here waiting, and it's clouding over !!!!

[firbeck 860]

Glory be, we have frog spawn in the pond, plus loads of caddis fly larvae crawling about, I've just been down to the river with net and bucket and stocked up with creepy crawlies including a giant dragonfly larvae. There's bees and butterflies all over the place today, a real spring day, I'm going back out to make the most of it.

[plantfit 7,638]

Sand Martins arrived a couple of weeks ago over here in the east, saw a strange thing this afternoon in a car park in Horncastle (I know it's not Nottingham) a pair of Moorhens building a nest, nothing unusual about that you say but this was up a willow tree about 16 feet above the river Bain, I watched until the male moorhen walked along a branch to a clear spot where it lept into mid air wings flapping until it landed on the water, I didn't have time to wait and see how it managed to get back up there, they are not that well known for precision flying and landing, has anyone on the forum heard of tree nesting moorhens?

Rog

[firbeck 860]

I wondered what the state of play was up there.

The daffs are dying off but the tulips are out, we've blossom on the plum and nectarine trees and all the hawthorns are heavy with white scented blossom. The pond is full of tadpoles and the water lilies are beginning to surface.

Unlike last year we have loads of swallows and house martins this time. Yesterday I was up at the allotment and the sky was full of swallows while the big bad buzzard spent all afternoon circling high over head.

The willow warblers are singing away out the back and our nesting thrushes have been hopping all over the garden looking for worms this morning.

It's stunning again this morning, shorts time again today, it's great to have clear blue skies without flipping vapour trails and jets flying about, I doubt whether the skies have been like this since the 1930's, long may it last, economy be damned.