Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Signs of a Very Early Spring

Much to our delight, we are currently experiencing a very warm March this year.  As a result of the usually warm temperatures, we have been spotting many signs of spring on our nature walks.


The song above was made by the robin.  Can you see it hiding in the hedge?


At the beginning of the month, the outside temperature was still quite chilly so we were still in our coats while we were out and about.


The signs of new life (plant-wise) were everywhere.



We didn't see or hear any baby birds on our walk.  As we observed some courting behaviour of the adult birds (for example, two very amourous pigeons), we suspected that it was still their courting season so probably we will see or hear baby birds in a month or so.


The great tit's courting behaviour was very interesting to observe.


First, the male (presumably) would try to impress the female by actively singing very loudly (more actively and loudly than normal) and then dart around back and forth among branches to (presumably) demonstrate their speed, skill, and flying prowess.


Back at home, we also started watching last year's Springwatch programme (this year's programme isn't out yet) to get a feel of what else is out there at springtime:



This post is linked up to:
  1. Nature Study Monday: It's March! NSM! Link Up!
  2. Hip Homeschool Hop - 3/11/14
  3. Entertaining and Educational - Art Masters 
  4. Collage Friday - Homeschooling Girls and Boys
  5. Weekly Wrap-up: The One with Cat Surgeries and Early Mornings
  6. Country Kids from Combe Mill
  7. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (3/15/14)
  8. Science Sunday: How to make a model of blood

22 comments:

  1. that pigeon picture is so cute!! :)

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    1. Isn't it just so, Amy? :-) The pigeons here are very affectionate with one another, especially around this time of the year.

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  2. I can't wait to see signs of spring!! that really is a sweet picture of the two cuddling pigeons :)

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    1. The pigeons are quite funny, really. :-) This year spring seems to have come much earlier than usual for us. Normally it doesn't happen until late March or early April. We are grateful to be able to spend time outside though.

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  3. It must be very nice to have spring so early. :) I love your pictures...I am enjoying the warmth vicariously.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Nelleke. Yes, we really appreciate the good weather, having had a rather horrible winter.

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  4. Isn't it gorgeous? I know we didn't have a cold winter but this sunshine is so very welcome after all those soggy months!

    We were amazed to see Egyptian goslings at a nearby canal about 3 weeks ago, then another set at our local pond, a week ago. I guess Egyptian geese must breed early!

    I love your photos. Aren't we lucky to have the freedom to spend time outside when spring calls?

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    1. | had to google Egyptian geese to see what they look like! Apparently they don't come our way since I've never seen one before. It's interesting to know that they breed early. I hope the weather stays warm for the goslings to grow properly, otherwise a sudden spat of deep frost might just be too much for the young ones to bear. Fingers crossed for them!

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  5. Love all the signs of spring. Fabulous shot of the pigeons.

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  6. I love that robin hiding in the hedge. Spring is such a fantastic time of year.

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  7. A great nature walk to spot the signs of Spring, it's lovely hearing the bird song and those pigeons are very cute. Here's to more sunshine and the awakening of nature for such a picturesque season. Thanks for linking up and sharing with Country Kids.

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    1. Yes, we have had quite enough of the wintry rain so spring is very much welcomed! :-)

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  8. I love your pigeon pic, such great photography! We have a pair in our garden who mate each year, same place, same time....at least I think it's the same pair - they look very alike!
    And long may this bout of sunshine last. There's nothing like sun to bring one out of one's February blues!

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    1. I've read in the papers that we may be in for a hot summer, so I'd expect it to stay warm from now on. Isn't it strange how the amount of sunshine affects our moods? :-)

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  9. Lovely post! Do you mind giving a general idea of where you are?

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    1. Thanks, Christy. I'm in England, UK. :-)

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  10. How lovely to catch the spring so early! Here in Washington state, it's still winter. It snowed a lot last week. I'm ready for spring to come!

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    1. I've read about the terrible winter you're having this year. Hope the snow hasn't brought you too much inconvenience. My son is disappointed that we haven't seen any snow this year, but he is equally glad to be spending lots of time outside in the sun. :-) I hope spring comes soon for you.

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  11. There's a spring watch program! That is so incredibly cool. I guess it might be harder to do that for US because we're so big and geographically diverse.

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    1. We find the springwatch programme to be very helpful in showing us what else is happening in other parts of the country at this time of the year. I wonder whether there is a regional equivalent in the USA, since a national one would obviously not be viable given the different climate between the east coast and the west coast.

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