I want to thank everyone that contributed to the other thread 'Early Signs Of Spring' but we are getting well into Spring now so time for a new one. Its been great to hear all the reports about what has been happening with all the different times Spring starts to show itself up and down the land. Just looking at the old thread we have had reports from Glenlivet, Buxton, NY Moors, Pompey, Frome, Folkestone, Chichester, Leeds, Peasedown St John, St Helens, Medlock Valley, Brockley, Dover, Orkney, Waterford SE Ireland, Sheffield, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Berkhamsted, Alton, Leysdown-on-Sea, Chineham, Lincoln, and from others also who did not give specific place names.

But Spring is really kicking into gear now and although I think air temperatures have been lower than expected the sun is gaining strength everyday and is very pleasant when it does come out, and this is the time of year we start to see all that magic happen in our gardens, neighbourhoods, and cities/villages.

So please post reports from around the UK about what you are seeing!

I will start with an observation of Horse Chestnut which I made and photographed today, it started to leaf weeks ago but some are starting to come into flower now.

The lower, or maybe I should say continually lower air temps than usual (IMBY) don't seem to be holding the plant life back. 'Beefturnmail' asked in the old thread whether people think that it all slowed down in March because where he lived it was so early. I don't think anything slowed down I think it just started early and then extended itself into the time frame which we are most used to seeing. I think it started early but played itself out slowly, which was a very clever move for nature, but nature is clever and doesn't (most of the time) get it wrong and over extend itself.

In glorious spring sunshine this afternoon,my wife and I walked the field at our rear. There we saw lesser celandine, buttercups, dandelion.daffodils and  bluebells all in flower. The horses in the adjoining field were enjoying the sunshine.. At home the chickens sat with wings outspread in full sun. The new planter at the front which is south facing has strawberries in flower. Raspberry canes beginning to bud along with lilies shooting up.  Spring has sprung.... 

Thanks for so may reports already.

Hey 'picturesareme'. It's just another thread instead of the other one which I started on January 10. We're into spring proper now so the early spring thread is irrelevant. But I still want to hear all the reports about spring that people have. By the way I hope you will contribute because from a lot of your posts I think you may live in the mildest part of Europe.

The horse chestnuts here are nowhere near as far on as they are in Torquay but more so than they are in Oldham, as you'd expect with me being in the Midlands.  They have just started to green up with leaf buds opening and the blossom is never far behind once the leaves unfurl.

Hawthorn is now showing green and Blackthorn is in blossom.

Only two swallows so far, but chiffchaffs wherever the trees are abundant for the last three weeks. Plum blossom now really profuse though the wild plum blossoms have gone over. Crocuses all gone, few late daffs left and the tulips just passing their peak.

Bluebells, celandines and wood anemones still glowing and the ramsons budding. Lovely time of year. What a great thread to celebrate such a time, especially when we can compare pictures like Larry's and Alan's. Keep for the historical record.

Thanks for all the reports and please keep them coming in. I have some Spring picture-reports from Torquay to share which are from today I took them earlier this afternoon.

The picture of Horse Chestnut that I posted in the OP where you could see that the flowers had emeged are in blossom now and I hope that you will be able to see the little pink flowers on them. Not every Horse Chestnut tree in Torquay is this advanced but many have flowers now and the avenues that are lined with them are starting to look very pretty.

Amazingly the daffodils are still out where I am; I even saw some snowdrops in a shaded spot!

This is the latest I have seen the daffodils still out, the yellow ones are beginning to die off now, but the white ones are in their prime. Its about 3 weeks later than usual. I can't really understand this; March was pretty average and April has been fairly normal as well. And given it was such a mild winter I'd expect them to be early not late.

Thoughts?

We still have some Daffodils too. The earlier ones are gone but the later white one's I have seen plenty over the last few weeks but they are dying off too now. But even the earlier one's came out at different times instead of all together so the season this year for them was extended (at least where I live). I saw some yellow ones today which were in their prime, they were bright yellow and only a few inches high but in full bloom, some kind of miniature-daffodil. So I don't think its strange or anything we have had some Magnolia trees blooming since January and yet those trees are still today in full bloom. Its like a stretched-out spring for flowers.

Yeah, my Magnolia started blooming around mid February and is still going 2 months later! Normally its done and dusted in a 3 week burst.  Very weird this year.

Sure sign it's mid spring when the forest floors are carpeted violet 😊

ive seen daffodils in flower even into early May many a time when I visit the northeast (Newcastle/Gateshead)... A testament to how lousy the climate is in that region. 

Ashling Woods near Chichester 17/4/2016

Dew these might be the same woods.. These are the woods just before you get to the long path that leads to the vale. Not sure the name of the woods but near Chichester 😊

Oops! should have gone back a page. But yes, they are the same woods - and the first few bluebells opened there on 29th Feb.

im glad I managed to catch them this year as last year I missed the main display 😕

cherry are and have been for sometime in flower though.

Beautiful pictures Dave; the one with the nodding wood anemones is so evocative of the woods where I played as a boy. I can almost hear the blackbirds & woodpigeons in the hazel tops!

Great thread Larry!

Those woods proved to be interesting not only from a spring but also a geological/ possible archaeological point of view. 

Trekking off the spring soaked moody pathways i found this suspiciously napped looking 

piece of flint in the undergrowth whilst crouched down for a bluebell shot..

and among some uprooted ground rock some hematite ore