I know its only the 10th of January but we often see early signs of Spring in many different ways. And this year due to the exceptionally mild winter so far who knows what will be appearing earlier than usual? This morning I took a picture of Magnolia buds opening on a tree near where I live.

Please share your pictures or observations of early signs of Spring as we go through the last eight or so weeks of Winter in this thread.

We don't have any frost or ice forecast for here in Torquay and this tree is just over the road from the water in one of the mildest places in the UK, so I do hope these flowers survive, they have good chance temp wise.

It actually felt like early spring earlier it was absolutely beautiful and I could easily feel the sun. I looked for some flowers walking into town and found some including buttercups, but also while I was looking over at a purple flower a butterfly landed on it! Magnolia is also opening more.

Hopefully there will be no heavy frost here during the colder weather. Non is forecast for here currently.

No daffodils, snowdrops or crocuses opening here yet, but the hazel catkins are starting to open in sheltered spots.
That's about all really. Birds have been singing on calmer days like today even though it has only been about 3C.

It does look very green everywhere, and some fields have an almost embarrassing amount of grass - which could not be grazed down due to the sudden onset of wetness at start of November.
Most years grass pretty much stops growing from November until March and the fields take on a yellowish bleached appearance (when not white)

Some Crocus opening up now.

Some Daffodils. These are the spring one's as far as I'm aware as they always flower in spring unlike the other kind which flower during winter.

Fortunately there have been no frosts here near the water and fingers crossed the cold spell appears to be over for areas on the south coast of Devon and Cornwall. I know some people don't want to hear that but we grow a heck of a lot of exotic plants and palms in Torquay (check out my signature) outside with no protection so as long as its cold elsewhere and mild here I'll be OK with that. So these along with the Magnolia should be fine for now. A long time to go yet till actual spring though, it usually really kicks into gear down here at some point between the end of February to the first week of March. Last year March 10th was T-Shirt weather in Torquay and so was March 13th in 2014. Lets see, but 7 weeks is along time when it comes to weather.

Some really super pictures Larry.

If you're interested further, there have been numerous reports of untimely plants and animals out and about during the exceptional December, from insects and flowers to trees leafing and dawn-chorus birds having a go, over on the gardening thread.

 Cheers

Bertie

Cheers, I'll take a look.

Drove To Salisbury yesterday and noticed on the verges daffodils in full bloom and many of them even finished blooming, also my pear tree at the bottom of the garden has started to show signs of life, leaf buds are starting to grow, which I know is not good news as the blossom will come early and get destroyed by spring frosts.

While I was in the back yard picking up broken splinters of next door's panel fencing, I've noticed the privet hedge already starting to bud. Give it a fortnight and I'll probably find myself doing the first hedge trimming of 2016!

Saw my first primroses out today - first in the wild that is, garden ones have been around for some time

I've been cutting hedges between showers the past few days, and it is unusual that some hawthorn buds are opening while others haven't fully lost last years leaves.
This is most noticeable on recently planted bushes.

Snowdrops are coming to their best now, earliest daffodils about 6" tall will need another two weeks to show colour.
I have seen some opening near the coast last week. 

Daffodils 

Snow drops/crocuses coming out as well, and the cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom. 

Anemones are beginning  to colour....  

nope it's from the angle the sun is in the sky and how it 'just feels' during the day. This is all relative of course to sea level, etc etc.

The higher the sun is in the sky the more energy potential for the ground below. 

There was a good website somebody in here shared a few years back that had the exact angle of the solar noon for each day for a huge range of cities... It was a simple case of cross referencing the angles with the latitudes to come to info in my earlier post regarding the weeks behind.

I couldn't agree more.

We spent the weekend in Cumbria. Up there it still feels every bit like winter. Down here the change has started. Its hard to describe but from a spiritual persepective it feels like nature is waking up, its noisier, its lighter, in shelter the noon sun feels warmer.

A great feeling after a wretched non winter.

Early signs of spring?

The ermergence of HLB and a southerly-tracking Jet, which will remain with us until around November.

The birds have been chirping away for a little while now too :)

And I now see the first UV index of 2 being forecasted in the coming days... Another sign of the rapidly increasing solar energy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2640377

Yes I've found a 2 for Monday in Penzance. Where's the location you posted? It's all 1s in the SE. Pompey's still a 1 on Monday on the BBC one.

that was for Portsmouth.. I don't bother with BBC just stick to the metoffice. However its worth remembering that these are all automated and change often. 

Yes- have you noticed the UV UK range is now 1-8; it was 1-7 last June.

 I wonder if they've upped their reckonings across the year. We've not had 2 here before March before on their charts . Perhaps they've changed their rounding spec or something.

funnily enough, I recently wrote something very similar! 

I believe we only have about 8 weeks of true winter. From mid Dec to around 10th Feb. Usually, we can rely on double digit (and mins this season!) until mid Dec, and I've always thought there is a perceptible change come around about 10th Feb. This is due to the level of light, and solar height. It just feels like spring from around mid Feb onwards, regardless of most temperatures. Certainly here in the South West, anyhow! Maybe not in Aberdeen...