I'ts come to our attention that several threads have started with regards to Spring.

This is now the official spring watch thread.  Can all relevant spring posts be put in here.  All duplicate threads will be locked

Good to see the Springwatch Thread back in 2008 Richard

Time for those TWO members to start to come out of hibernation

Mind you, Only slowly wake

Glad thats sorted.

 So for me the first sign (other then daffo's) that spring is upon is our 5 pets (2 cats, 3 dogs) are all starting to loose thir winter coats.

ohh and the black birds are back.

Always find this a interesting link;

http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/springwatch/

Ahhh, spring! A time of increasing stability on TWO

Regarding the issues raised in t'other threads of animal coats altering in spring, I'm pretty sure that studies have shown that it tends to be a reaction to current weather, rather than some sort of anatomical clock. In other words, a spell of prolonged warmth is enough for animals in winter coat to begin shedding for summer.

Bren:

A time of increasing stability on TWO

Bren:

Ahhh, spring! A time of increasing stability on TWO

... and hopefully the start of instability in the atmosphere (as in the weather not TWO!!! )

I often wonder about that as our cats, which don't get out, grow thick coats for winter then shed for summer even though the inside temperature doesn't alter that much except in high summer if we don't use the air-con.

Spring is well advanced here with the flowers in full bloom and many of the trees getting their new green foliage, all much earlier than previous years. The peach and nectarine blossoms have just opened so will be keeping a wary eye, with fleece to hand, for a cold snap next week. I'm a bit concerned at the lack of bees, normally the fruit trees would be a buzzing frenzy but there are very few bumble and honey bees about so pollination might be a problem.

nouska:

I often wonder about that as our cats, which don't get out, grow thick coats for winter then shed for summer even though the inside temperature doesn't alter that much except in high summer if we don't use the air-con.

 

I expect animals do have some form of body calendar but it's probably influenced by current conditions as well. Similarly to birds nesting early when the weather is warmer, there's a biological clock but also a direct weather influence

I have heard before that some birds try to time their young hatching with when certain insects are likely to be most abundant In that circumstance it would make sense to rely at least partly on the weather?

JHutch:

I have heard before that some birds try to time their young hatching with when certain insects are likely to be most abundant In that circumstance it would make sense to rely at least partly on the weather?

Not sure if this link helps

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/science_nature/animal_lore.shtml

Regarding the cats, I think there is definitely a weather influence but also maybe a length of daylight factor there as well?

I watched a nature programme about the Arctic where they said that the snowy owls timed their broods to the lemmings but not only that, they seemed to know whether it would be a plentiful year and laid extra eggs to take advantage of the fact.

On the subject of birds I had a group of about twenty red kites spend a bit of time round the house. They were checking out a field that had just been covered in slurry. These birds don't normally live here so must have been on spring migration from Iberia.

There's an interesting crossing point during spring, when average temperatures in continental areas rise above those in maritime regions on the same latitude. To me that's the big changing of seasons because it means the driver of warmth and cold switches from being advection off the oceans to radiation from the sun.

Moscow overtakes London in late April, Winnipeg in early May, and they both fall back behind us in September. Berlin

There's an interesting crossing point during spring, when average temperatures in continental areas rise above those in maritime regions on the same latitude. To me that's the big changing of seasons because it means the driver of warmth and cold switches from being advection off the oceans to radiation from the sun.

Moscow overtakes London in late April, Winnipeg in early May, and they both fall back behind us in September. Berlin catches up in late March and drops behind in October. Berlin is probably a more relevant comparison because it doesn't have the lag caused by slow-melting snow in Spring. So we are still being warmed mainly by the oceans until late next month.

There's an interesting crossing point during spring, when average temperatures in continental areas rise above those in maritime regions on the same latitude. To me that's the big changing of seasons because it means the driver of warmth and cold switches from being advection off the oceans to radiation from the sun.

Moscow overtakes London in late April, Winnipeg in early May, and they both fall back behind us in September. Berlin catches