Further Signs of Spring

 The time of day when traffic is slowest is, for some reason, called rush hour?

Further signs that Spring has arrived; at least, in our back garden. The 2026 Spring (Vernal) Equinox arrived in Herefordshire (and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere!) on the 20th March at a quarter to three in the afternoon. The Common Chiff-Chaff is one of the first migrant birds to arrive in Britain and was first heard on the 17th of the month during our visit to Betty Dawes Wood. I also heard the chiff-chaff on the 20th while I was carrying out my citizen science duties on the Yazor Brook, about a mile from our garden (as the crow flies!). We have also seen our first butterflies of the year (Comma and Peacock) in the garden.

In the kitchen garden, the plum blossom has appeared; first noticed on the 23rd March (one week earlier than 2025) ...

Photo 1: Plum Blossom in the Fruit Garden (23rd March 2026)

... and I noticed the first asparagus spear today (27th) as I was doing some garden tidying up in the kitchen garden ...

Photo 2: First Asparagus Spear Emerges (27th March 2026)

I have logged the first appearance of asparagus spears above soil level for the past seven growing seasons (see Table below). The spread of 'first appearance' dates covers a period of 18 days and is dependent upon the soil temperature (see, for example, here). Other important factors include solar radiation (to help warm the soil), precipitation (not too much and not too little) and a dormant (cold) period over the winter months.

Year	Date of First Spear (Day of the Year)
2020	2nd April (93)
2021	31st March (90)
2022	14th April (104)
2023	10th April (100)
2024	25th March (85)
2025	30th March (89)
2026	27th March (86)

It is suggested that asparagus emerges from its dormancy when the soil temperature (at a depth of 10 - 20 cm) reaches about 10 ℃. Regrettably, I don't measure soil temperatures, only air temperatures. As a very rough guide, I find when the air temperature achieves 18-20 ℃ daily maximum over a sustained period (about 10 days), the first spear of asparagus appears at the end of that 10-day period. I really should start measuring soil temperatures, though. Next year, maybe?

Daffodil Season

 Always avoid the overuse of parentheses (brackets), ampersands & abbreviations, etc

The Daffodil Season covers the months of February and March in the United Kingdom. You may find some early flowers in January and there will be some stragglers in April. But, by and large, they will be at their best in February and March. These early specimens (Photo 1) were seen on a visit to The Weir Garden on the first day of February this year, ostensibly to view the snowdrops.

Photo 1: Daffodils, Weir Garden (1st February 2026)

Most of the daffodils were still tightly budded but a few had been encouraged to open, helped no doubt by their location on a south-facing slope.

In the garden, the first daffodils to open were about a week later: e.g. this single specimen under the medlar tree had been open a few days before being photographed on the 12th February.

Photo 2: First Garden Daffodil (12th February 2026)

Daffodils feature strongly in Mary's Spring Table Collection just outside the back door. In addition to the  standard (full-size) cultivars, there are also some Narcissus Tête-a-tête along with the cream-coloured Narcissus bulbocodium (Arctic Bells).

Photo 3: Mary's Spring Flower Table (28th February 2026)

By mid-March, the daffodils are everywhere but especially along roadside verges (Photo 4); note photo taken through the front windscreen of a moving car so the quality is not great.

Photo 4: Roadside Daffodil Displays (March 2026)

On the 14th March, we were at a bit of a loose end and decided to return to The Weir Garden to see how the daffodils were getting on. As we turned into the car park it was clear that we had arrived at an opportune time ...

Photo 4: Car Park, The Weir Garden, Herefordshire (14th March 2026)

The Weir Garden is a riverside garden that looks its best in Springtime when the bulbs are in flower. Over this period you will see a succession of Spring-flowering bulbs (such as snowdrops, daffodils, scilla, crocuses, bluebells, wild garlic) and flowers (e.g. primroses, celandines, wood anemone, summer snowflakes and fritillaries).

Photo 5: Daffodils at The Weir Garden (14th March 2026)

Photo 6: Summer Snowflakes ((Leucojum aestivum), Daffodils, Primroses (Weir Garden, 14/3/26)

Photo 7: Celandines, early Bluebells and Wood Anemones (Weir Garden, 14/3/26)

Photo 8: Snakeshead Fritillaries among the Daffodils (Weir Garden, 14/3/26)

Encouraged by the appearance of daffodils in full bloom, we decided to venture onto Gloucestershire to see the wild daffodils. So, a few days later, we headed for Betty Dawes Wood; formerly a Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve but now managed by the Forestry Commission. There are only six car parking spaces (four with bad parking!) at the entrance to the wood and, as you enter by the gate, it doesn't look that promising. However, turn left onto a broad path and in the distance you will see the way to the 'promised land of daffodils'...

Photo 9: This Way to the Wild Daffodils, Betty Dawes Wood (17/3/26)

Photo 10: Wild Daffodils, Betty Dawes Wood (17th March 2026)

Wild daffodils as far as the eye can see ...

Photo 11: Wild Daffodils, Betty Dawes Wood (17th March 2026)

The wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), also known as the 'Lent Lily', is the smaller native daffodil with pale yellow petals and a darker, narrower yellow trumpet (Photo 12) ...

Photo 12: The Wild Daffodil, Betty Dawes Wood (17/3/26)

About halfway around the perimeter of Betty Dawes Wood, there is a bench looking out over a pasture. Go through the gate and cross the field keeping close to the hedge until you come to a gated wooden bridge over a small stream. Follow the path (often muddy) through Greenaways Wood until you come to the road. Here you will find Gwen & Vera's Fields, full of wild daffodils at this time of the year.

Photo 13: Gwen's (or is it Vera's) Field (17/3/26)

Photo 14: Vera's (or is it Gwen's) Field (17/3/26)

Time to retrace our steps back to the car for a picnic before heading home. On the way back through Greenaways Wood we spotted a Brimstone Butterfly ...

Photo 15: Brimstone Butterfly, Greenaways Wood (17/3/26)

We had already seen a couple of Brimstones flying along the roadside verges on our way to Betty Dawes Wood but this was the first close-up. Also recorded our first chiff-chaff of 2026; a herald that Spring has finally arrived!

On our last visit to Betty Dawes, we had seen lots of wood anemones and violets. However, these were largely absent on this trip apart from the odd scraggy sighting ...

Photo 16: Wood Anemone, Betty Dawes Wood (17/3/26)

Was this down to the wet winter?

Photo 17: Dog Violet, Betty Dawes Wood (17/3/26)

Just under a week later, we found ourselves at another loose end; I suspect it happens quite a lot when you  are retired! It was an OK day (dry, at least) and we had two goals in mind. Firstly, a visit to a nearby nature reserve in Hereford that we'd never visited before: Hampton Park Road Meadow. It is small field, accessed between a small housing development, containing the remains of an old orchard along with some more recent orchard planting. The reserve slopes down to the River Wye.

Mary did a quick plant survey of flowering plants that included this patch of wild daffodils ...

Photo 18: Wild Daffodils, Hampton Park Road Meadow (23/3/26)

We made a slight detour on the way home to visit the Lugg Meadow on the eastern outskirts of Hereford looking for snakeshead fritillaries. We'd seen them at The Weir Garden (Photo 8) and they are much more abundant on the Lugg Meadows. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the fritillaries although it is a little early for this particular flood plain site. The ground was indeed still very wet and we couldn't identify any obvious plants that would flower later. The blackthorn had a good display of creamy white flowers with the promise of plenty of sloes for that favourite winter tipple ...

Photo 19: Blackthorn In Bloom, Lugg Meadow (23/3/26)

From a nature point of view, the presence of plenty of birdsong emanating from the blackthorn bushes was a final comforting note.

March Brown Frenzy

 

We had an unusual visitor a few days ago. The March Brown Mayfly (Photo 1).

Photo 1: March Brown Mayfly on Kitchen Window (19/3/26)

Why was it an unexpected visitor? Well, it would have emerged from a river (presumably the River Wye, though possibly the Yazor Brook) and flown at least a kilometre in order to reach our house. The video below shows a March Brown emerging from the water and transforming into a mayfly.

Video 1: March Brown Mayfly From Water to Air

The March Brown is also unusual in that it has only two cerci (tails) whereas most mayflies have three. This makes identification a little easier when they are spotted in March/April.

In one of those strange coincidences that happen from time to time, I had just been reading about the March Brown in a newsletter from the Wye and Usk Foundation (WUF). Excerpt below: 

Usk March Brown

After a long, wet winter, our rivers are flowing strongly. The spring sunshine finally has some warmth. The daffs are waving in the breeze and the lambs are frolicking in the fields. For the Usk trout fisherman this means one thing…. March Browns. The first reports came in over the weekend of trout going crazy as these large flies exploded from the surface.

 

One minute you are basking in the mid-day sunshine, then you notice the wagtail waiting expectantly on the bank to dash across the river. This is the cue to get ready. Within a few seconds the river explodes into life. Big brown flies burst from the surface and, seemingly, every trout in the river slashes and surges to make the most of the sudden feast. Within a few minutes it is all over. If you are unlucky that’s your lot and it is back to the nymph rod, but more often you get multiple waves and, as you move to month end, it becomes sustained. Often the frenzy turns into more leisured munching as the large dark olives take over.

Our March Brown specimen must have avoided being eaten before making its way to our house. This mayfly emerges from the water during the warmest part of the day (i.e. 11 am to 4 pm). Photo 1 was taken at 3 pm so either the March Brown was lucky or its survival says something about the decline in the trout population in the River Wye.

The March Brown is probably the best-known of the British mayflies because of its use in fly fishing when fishing for trout in March and April.

 

Photo 2: March Brown Mayfly (19/3/26)

First Butterflies of 2026

Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded - Yogi Berra

Today (21st March 2026), we spotted our first positively-identified garden butterflies. There have been earlier instances this month when either Mary or I spotted something out of the corner of our eyes but could not make a definitive ID. These were not the first Lepidoptera we'd seen this year: there were at least three instances of Brimstone butterflies spotted during our recent trip to see the wild daffodils at Betty Dawes Wood.

Photo 1: Brimstone, near Betty Daws Wood (17th March 2023)

Anyway, back to today's sightings. First on the scene was a Comma butterfly that had settled on a Viburnum bush ...

Photo 2: Comma Butterfly in the Garden (21st March 2026)

This butterfly has emerged from its winter hibernation as an adult and will be laying eggs soon (April) on its favoured food plant, the Common (or Stinging) Nettle. This specimen looks in fine fettle and is a common sight in the garden.

About half an hour later, there was a fast-moving black/dark coloured flutter that landed on the back porch roof ...

Photo 3: Peacock Butterfly in the Garden (21st March 2026)

When it opened its wings to bathe in the warm Spring sunshine, identification was easy: the Peacock butterfly.

Photo 4: Peacock Butterfly in the Garden (21st March 2026)

Peacock butterflies seen this early in the year have overwintered as adults and will be hoping to mate before laying their eggs on Common Nettle in May. Peacocks are one of the longest-living butterflies with an average lifespan of 10-11 months. You can see a little bit of damage to wings but this specimen looks in pretty good order.

Butterflies, as is their nature, are rather fluttery and tend to keep moving. This Peacock kept returning to the porch roof in between its flutterings. It was a warm sunny day and the roof tiles would have provided a warm landing spot in between feeding forays; e.g. to this nearby primrose.

Photo 5: Peacock Butterfly on Primrose Flower (21st March 2026)

Hottest Day of the Year So Far ...

 Rarely is the question asked: is our children learning? - George W Bush

Photo 1: Flowering Cherry in Front of Ludlow Castle*

Today (18th March 2026) was provisionally declared the warmest day of the year so far by the UK Met Office. Temperatures of 20.9 ℃ and 20.2 ℃ were recorded in NW Wales and London, respectively. In Hereford (specifically our back garden), the temperature was 21 ℃ for 3 hours this afternoon (2 - 5 pm)**. Mary reported that lots of people were wearing T-shirts in Hereford City. It certainly was a very pleasant day to work in the garden.

Interestingly, it is fairly unusual for places in NW Wales to be warmer than London, albeit only by 0.7 ℃, due to the large Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect from London's built environment. However, due to the Foehn (Fohn) effect, NW Wales gets its day in the limelight as the warmest place in Britain.

How does the Foehn effect work? In this case, the prevailing wind was from the East. As the moving air hits the Welsh mountain ranges (Brecon Beacons*** and Snowdonia****), it rises & cools causing the water vapour to condense out so that the air becomes drier. As this cool dry air descends on the other (western) side of the mountains, it is compressed (as the altitude drops) and adiabatically warmed. Which is the how and why it was warmest on the NW coast of Wales today.

* Strictly speaking, a small Kojo-No-Mai potted cherry tree in front of a photograph of Ludlow Castle!

** All my Davis Weather Station temperature readings are rounded to the nearest whole number

*** Bannau Brycheiniog

**** Eryri

Why are they called Canada Geese?

 It was impossible to get a conversation going, everyone was talking too much - Yogi Berra

Photo 1: Canada Geese at Brockhall Quarry, near Hereford (19/1/26)

First of all, let's dismiss the urban myth that Canada Geese were named after an ornithologist called John Canada. There is no evidence such a person existed and, in any case, the nomenclature for Canada geese has a purely geographical origin.

Carl Linnaeus formalised the name of Branta canadensis or geese from Canada in 1758. Although migratory birds, they seldom reach the United Kingdom by this route. Canada geese were introduced into Britain in 1665 by Charles II as part of his waterfowl collection in St James Park, London. From such small beginnings, Canada geese have proliferated and are now ubiquitous throughout the UK. The UK population of Canada geese is estimated to be between 150,000 and 200,000.

On a recent visit to the nature reserve at Brockhall Quarry, we came across a good number of Canada geese ...

Video 1: Canada Geese @ Brockhall Quarry (19/1/26)

... Mary estimated about 400. Brockhall Quarry (aka Sugwas Pools) is a few miles outside Hereford. It is not far from the SAS base at Credenhill where, coincidentally, the Met Office weather station, that I often refer to in my View from the Rear Garden series of posts, is located. The above video features a helicopter returning to its Credenhill base.

House Sparrow 0 : 1 Sparrowhawk

I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork - Peter de Vries

Mary was busy in the garden yesterday while I was busy catching up with my Citizen Science work in our second kitchen (or my laboratory!). I could see through the kitchen window that Mary was looking at something on the patio. She quickly gestured to me to pass over my phone which I duly did. And this was the picture she took ...

Photo 1: Sparrowhawk with its Prey, a House Sparrow (3rd March 2026)

Our resident House Sparrows were the home team while the Sparrowhawk was the away team. Clearly an away victory!

We've had a Sparrowhawk in the garden before though many years ago. It also took a single House Sparrow and consumed it on site. I think only the beak survived! This time the Sparrowhawk was spooked and disappeared with its meal.

A few years back, our son came across another Sparrowhawk that had downed a wood pigeon and was about to enjoy a somewhat bigger meal. Generally, the larger female Sparrowhawk will take birds up to Wood Pigeon size (40-42 cm) whereas the smaller male Sparrowhawk is limited to Mistle Thrush (26-28 cm) and smaller. Both sexes are happy to take smaller birds like tits and sparrows.

Video 1: Sparrowhawk with Pigeon Dinner

Although primarily a bird of woodland, the Sparrowhawk is often found hunting in gardens where humans provide an all-you-can-eat buffet table, otherwise known as a bird feeder and/or bird table! Sparrowhawks need to eat 2-3 small birds (e.g. sparrows, starlings) per day. The male Sparrowhawk eats every day but the female can survive for 3-4 days on a single large kill such as a Wood Pigeon. There is no evidence to indicate that Sparrowhawks have a detrimental effect on the local small bird population.