Spring is springing now...

[AE-NMidlands]

Two Swallows over the garden today - although not quite a Spring thing, we had a Sparrowhawk sitting on one of our gate posts earlier this week. Apologies, pic was on iPhone from about 20 metres away.

They have been a frequent visitor to the garden in the past - as the garden slopes, we have been above them as they swoop across the garden.

You are lucky! We have buzzards which circle over a nestsite not far (100m?) away, but rarely see hawks. A few years ago I did see one swoop past our birdtable and take something off it, but more often I spot one aloft and recognise my early beekeeping buddy's comment
"Sparrowhawk: all the songbirds have gone quiet!" He was right...
A

[Bugtownboy]

We have a lot of Buzzards around - most we’ve had circling over the garden is 10 at any one time.

Still waiting for the Red Kite to regularly get this far south - if we travel along the A303 we see them in good numbers just on the Somerset:Wiltshire border.

They’re more frequent in North/Mid Somerset.

We’ve had the Sparrowhawk’s take birds, up to the size of a Woodpigeon, in the garden.

We’ve got used to the alarm calls of, particularly Swallow and Starling, when one of the Sparrowhawk’s circling.

[Moxi]

We had three buzzards over the cottage on Thursday and last year we were graced by a red kite which we expect back later this year, we also have chough’s that we see when walking over towards Nantille valley. Strangely for place with very few trees we have the odd woodpecker too, the last visitor we are patiently waiting for is the annual visit from the cuckoo who is a seasonal regular with us.

Moxi

[MikeNovack]

Sorry, can't resist this.

Snowing now, 2-4" expected 1000' elevation and above (this house is at about 1050'). Mind I am in a very different climate. The most I have experienced (in April) since moving to New England was 26"!. That sas before we bought this place in 1983, so maybe 1981v or 82 and we were living at about1400' elevation.

[Stig]

It's been about 20 here today but I got a "Facebook memory" reminding me that 4 years ago today my garden had 2 inches of snow on it! Gotta love the UK 'climate'.

[Adokforme]

Indeed. Pulled our first Rhubarb today, 7lb so started off the first gallon of wine from it. Still plenty left for a crumble should we feel the desire but still have some from last year in freezer along with blackberries. Hoping for a good crop of those again for more wine mid summer.