Spring can be seen everywhere – from snowdrops dotting the forest floor to jelly-like frogspawn in your local pond, and even trees like alders (with their long male catkins) sending up signs that it is time for new growth and blooming buds to appear as classic indicators of change.
Keep an eye on the skies this March too, when buzzard pairs start performing impressive aerial displays.
1. Birds
As soon as temperatures start to stabilize and days lengthen, birds like robins, blue jays and other songbirds return to woodlands, parks and our feeders. Their return signals that days are becoming longer while food supplies have improved.
Though birds sing year-round, their songs become even more elaborate during spring as they defend their territory or try to impress potential mates. You might hear woodpeckers drumming on resonant trees to advertise themselves and attract females; or the melodious “fee-bee” call of phoebes that will soon begin searching out nest sites near open fields and woodland edges where insects thrive.
Male catkins on alder trees and shrubs are one of the sure signs that spring has arrived, appearing late winter or early spring while they still lack leaves, to release pollen that fertilizes female catkins on nearby branches. Blackbirds’ raspy “onk-a-lee” songs serve as another telltale signal that seasons are changing.
As temperatures heat up, now is also an excellent time to keep an eye out for nesting birds. Swallows and robins lay eggs which will hatch into baby chicks; you can encourage this vital part of nature by planting an abundant garden with native plants while forgoing pesticide use which could damage birds or their offspring.
Chances are, you may even catch sight of the beautiful and elegant swallow’s shadow in the sky! Watching these elegant birds soar through the air is an exciting sight that marks a change of season.
Hearing the chorus of frogs singing mating songs is another sure sign of spring, which you can encourage by building a pond or water basin in your yard and providing habitats with native vegetation.
2. Flowers
As warmer days and temperatures usher in springtime, flowering plants bloom, turning the landscape greener. Snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils make their debut appearance beginning as early as January bringing cheery yellow heads bobbing gently in the breeze – making daffodils particularly easy to spot! Daffodils make ideal cut flowers for bouquets; plus deer tend not to dig them up – making them suitable for wildflower meadows and garden borders where their beauty can be appreciated in its native environment!
Blackthorn and crab apple trees (Corylus avellana) herald spring’s arrival in many rural areas, while pink cherry, apple and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) bring colour to urban gardens. These blossom-bedecked trees provide shelter to a range of wildlife including birds, mammals and insects such as squirrels to bees and caterpillars – not forgetting wildlife such as squirrels!
Spring flowers that mark its arrival include snowdrops, crocuses and wild garlic (Ranunculus), often found in woodland clearings. Other signs include wood anemone – with its pretty pale yellow bloom -and cuckoo flower, commonly found along hedgerows or roadside banks – not forgetting yellow primrose (Primula Vulgaris) that is common throughout British gardens.
Trilliums (wild garlic in North America), with their flashy petals and distinctive scent, meadow-rue and bloodroot are other colourful springtime blooms commonly seen in woodland or wet meadow settings, often accompanied by their sweet aroma of wild garlic. As soon as the temperature warms up, flowering trees begin to flower along with shrubs such as rowan and hawthorn which produce stunning displays of white blossom. As this occurs, so too do rowans and hawthorn which are revered ancient folklore trees, as do rowans and hawthorn with magical displays of white blossom. As this occurs so too does their buzzing noise, creating one of spring’s signature sounds: that distinctive sound of spring bumblebee buzz!
3. Birds’ Nests
Springtime marks the return of birds, signalling its time to start nest building. While some species create their homes from sticks and twigs, others use various materials from nature as building materials – each species’ nesting habits reflecting both its environment and lifestyle; for instance robins and woodpeckers typically build open cup-shaped nests lined with wool from sheep or soft material while blue tits weave theirs using threads from spider webs or caterpillar cocoons woven through spiderwebs to form open cup-shaped nests lined with wool from sheep for instance while other birds such as blue tits weave their nests using threads from spiderwebs or caterpillar cocoons which have threads from spiderwebs or caterpillar cocoons to create their homes.
Nest shapes provide insight into what kind of diet and egg-laying areas birds prefer, such as where kingfishers and thrushes prefer nesting sites; respectively. Kingfishers usually nest in hollow trees while thrushes’ nests are typically constructed out of bark from old tree branches. Owls and woodpeckers lay their eggs in burrows or preexisting holes in logs or stone walls while voles dig their own homes or move between burrows seasonally.
Signs of spring include hearing the birdsong fill the morning sky. The dawn chorus typically begins around March and peaks in May when resident and migratory songbirds meet up as they migrate back home for breeding season.
Other sure signs of spring include the appearance of frogspawn in local ponds and woodland plants such as lesser celandine and wood sorrel; latter of which are particularly popular throughout Southeast U.S. forests where they grow as wildflowers in forest edges, fields and woodland pathways.
Spring brings with it the first leaf-outs of deciduous trees, giving woodlands and parks lush green landscapes after the browns of winter. However, for some people these leaves may trigger seasonal allergies due to plants producing pollen in abundance – this can result in symptoms like itchy eyes or nose.
4. Buzzards
Now is an excellent time of year to look out for buzzards – large birds of prey with broad, rounded wings and short tails, usually brown with light necklaces beneath their breast and white undersides to their wings. Buzzard numbers have quadrupled since 1970 and they can often be found soaring above woodland or moorland areas.
These birds specialize in mammal hunting but will also eat carrion. Their territoriality allows them to actively pursue crows, magpies, rabbits, deer and foxes; sometimes even becoming so preoccupied that they become too full for flight; when this occurs they remain grounded until some portion of their meal has been digested before returning for another chase.
Sometimes you may see them on the ground, either nesting or feeding on carcasses. When encountered they may be mobbed by crows who harass and attack until they fly away; additionally they are susceptible to poisoning from domestic and agricultural pesticides and partial migrants that move further south as weather warms up with more prey nearby.
Spring marks the fluttering of beautiful bluebells (Hyacinthus angustifolia) and fragrant yellow primroses (Primula veris). Additionally, this season is a good opportunity to spot delicate dapplings of green moss emerging from trees; and look out for numerous butterflies including peacock butterfly (Aglais io) and speckled woodpecker (Pernis apivorus).
Now is an amazing time to be outside and relish all the signs of spring! Longer days and brighter sunshine make for the ideal conditions for getting outside – whether in a rural or city park setting. What are your favourite signs of spring? Please share pictures or stories about them with us; we love hearing from you!