Early spring

[alan refail]

Looking back at my recordings for last year I see most signs of spring are a good deal earlier this year than last:

Blackthorn two weeks earlier
Hawthorn two weeks earlier
Lilac two weeks earlier

Bluebells ten days earlier
Garlic mustard two and a half weeks earlier
Celandine a week earlier
Wood anemone three weeks earlier
Cuckoo flower nine days earlier

[Colin Miles]

I think that Spring 'caught up' as when we went on a walk in February with our local Wildlife Trust looking for early signs of Spring, the 88 year old leader said that it was the latest that he had ever experienced it. He came armed with carrier bags to stuff with pennywort but went home empty-handed. Snowdrops were still flowering end of March, beginning of April. And it is only in the last couple of weeks that the grass has needed mowing.

Temperaturewise Jan was cooler than average, Feb and March both a bit warmer, April so far significantly warmer. Last year Jan, Feb and Mar were all cooler than normal. This is in South Wales of course, so maybe the North is different.

[Nature's Babe]

Yes, ladybirds around on valentines day, bumbles in march, bullfinch pecking the May blossom on April fools day. My early peas have nearly finnished flowering and peas are coming along nicely, the broad beans are a mass of flower, rhubarb flowered weeks ago and we've had several pickings. the cherry trees are a mass of blossom pears forming on the tree. Globe Artichokes reaching for the heights... wow, what a start!

[Monika]

Things are early here, too, but it's been strange that, for the fourth year running, our willow warblers have arrived on exactly the same day, 10th April, and the year before that, it was 11th April - presumably they always leave their African winter quarters when day length is exactly the same every year. But it's still amazing, isn't it?

Just out of interest, in 1908 the willow warbler arrived on 29th April in this area!

[oldherbaceous]

I'm saying nothing.

[Shallot Man]

alan refail. Hi alan, excuse my ignorance, what is the difference between Blackthorn and Hawthorne.

[alan refail]

Morning S Man

Click on the links and all will come clear.........

Prunus spinosa

Crataegus monogyna

[FelixLeiter]

alan refail. Hi alan, excuse my ignorance, what is the difference between Blackthorn and Hawthorne.

This is blackthorn (Prunus spinosa): http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=blackthorn&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivnsm&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=cOqrTcTtLsWt8QP-roC5Ag&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CB4Q_AUoAQ&biw=986&bih=785

And here is hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna): http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=986&bih=785&site=search&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=hawthorn&btnG=Search

Blackthorn is a suckering shrub, rarely a small tree, and flowers first. Hawthorn is always a small tree and usually flowers in May (sometimes called May Blossom). Blackthorn gives sloes, hawthorn yields beautiful red berries.

[Stephen]

And this is Hawtorne http://images.zap2it.com/images/celeb-70970/nigel-hawthorne-1.jpg

[Shallot Man]

Thank you all for your replies.