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We usually have a thread charting the arrival of swallows and cuckoos but this year due to the late spring I thought we could add daffodils to it!

So far none of the above here in north west France although I have seen some daffies out to the north of here. It's not so unusual though as looking back at my garden diary in 2006 the first daffy was 20th March, which is 5 weeks later than 2007 and 2008!

I had a couple out in the first week of February and now they are all out, in fact the first ones are just beginning to fade.
They are about 5 weeks late on average for here, usually the first or second week of January for the very first ones, although one year they were out on a sunny boxing day.
On the other hand, I can't grow snowdrops here, I think the soil is too acid, in fact I have not seen a single snowdrop in anyone elses gardens around here either.

I blogged my first daffs yesterday

I'm not much of a bird spotter so can't help on that. Mind you Im amazed that there seems to be a pair of birds of prey living in the vicinity of my town/seaside garden.

Would love to know what they are. The other day one of them actually caught a mouse from behind my neighbours shed. The mouse (I hope it wasn't a rat) squeeled when caught and was still squeeling as the bird flew away with it.
Quite exciting.

Yeah, I must say I've never seen snowdrops flower for so long so there is some benefit!

have had daffodils here for a week now! the bluebells have started growing but no flowers yet. the cherry trees out front have all suddenly sprouted buds hopefully ill get a good cherry crop

got snowdrops last week of Jan

daffodils peeping through but no flowers yet...

It's all a bit odd up here. No daffs yet (though there are snowdrops and a few crocuses), but the birds are convinced it is springtime and are chirruping nicely and doing their funny flirty stuff with each other.

Looking at my neighbour's daffs, they are about a week off flowering. I don't think mine are going to flower this year, they all seem to have come up blind, but then again I say that every year.

We've seen the first Bumble Bee, one Green Caterpillar and loads of Lady Birds today. No sign of House Martins yet but I think it is still a bit early here for them. One pair will get the hump though as their nest in our porch has been hijacked by a Wren.

Do you know, I've been living in Scotland for 8 years this year; and I have only seen one ladybird the whole time.

It was odd today, I was sat on the front step this afternoon in glorious sunshine - the sun was actually really warm on my face and I thought 'Yes, Spring is here'. Then I looked up and noticed that the Campsies are still covered in snow.....then swiped some gnats away from my face.

It's just not right. I no liking this.

No daffs yet in Lancashire either, but loads of snowdrops and crocuses are showing now.

Saw a frog/toad orgy while out today with the children at a local country park lots of frogspawn too

Sarah

Saw a couple of daffs today !!!! south facing roadside bank sheltered under a hedge.

And a big frog was jumping around in the garden while we were digging out the rubble that will be the fruit bed. Kids loved it, fortunately chickens and dogs didnt see it.

Bring on the spring.

Sarah

We have daffs, snowdrops, pansies, and the ones I can never remember the names of (flowers = OH's department). We also, to my amazement considering I was going to redo the pond this year, have a gazillion frogs doing their thing - I have to wait until autumn now.

The voles have started their suicide runs again, although I haven't spotted red-haired mice yet. We did have a visit from a very healthy looking rat - that visit didn't last long and entailed me running up the length of the garden shouting at the top of my voice (something like "Go away, you horrible rodent" but with a lot more syllables).

If only it stopped raining, I might believe it really was spring.

Mike

Well after a couple of days without wind the daffs have come along and I now have two big ones half open and a little Tete a Tete 3/4 open, so I will announce today as the official day the daffs opened here, so it's 5 days earlier than in 2006.

Forgot to mention my husband saw a Brimstone butterfly about 12 days ago.

OMG just looked at the weather forecast, two sites both saying temps up to 17C this week. I can't cope with that, that sounds really HOT!

YAY!! Official first daffodil out - seen on sunny south facing bank on way to work this morning.

About blooming time too - although I like the fact they will be around for easter.

Has anyone else noticed that the katkins are very advanced for this time of yr? Easter isn't easter without katkins and forsythia ... and I am not sure they will last that long.

Hooray! I LOVE spring. Life is worth living again!

Daffs and narcissi out in South Hampshire for a week now, and so many snowdrops this year. Bumblebee queens emerging from hibernation last weekend. Earliest swallows ever here were April 1st and I'm looking out for them from now onwards!

Love and Peace
Jim