Bluebells and Tulips are up already
- Thread starter Shewie
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Your kidding me. That's not right. I haven't seen anything around here, but I'll keep a look out now. Won't be long before it's sap-season again 
I did see a Pipestrelle out on Christmas Eve in our backgarden as it was turning dusk. That was a nice sight.
I have snowdrops and celandines just about to bloom. The primroses 'are' in bloom. The bluebells are about 15cms high so a wee bit to go yet.
The blackcurrant buds are fattening up and so are the hawthorn's. There's a waterlily bud that honestly looks like it's ready to open up too, and the rhubarb is starting to push the ground up. The tansy has sent up new fronds and the wild strawberries have new runners appearing.
Tulips, daffs/ narcissi are definitely shooting up too. I have a foxglove that just hasn't stopped blooming, it's sending up new wee side shoots now.
Way too soon if the weather turns
I don't think I've ever seen such fat squirrels in my life.
m
The blackcurrant buds are fattening up and so are the hawthorn's. There's a waterlily bud that honestly looks like it's ready to open up too, and the rhubarb is starting to push the ground up. The tansy has sent up new fronds and the wild strawberries have new runners appearing.
Tulips, daffs/ narcissi are definitely shooting up too. I have a foxglove that just hasn't stopped blooming, it's sending up new wee side shoots now.
Way too soon if the weather turns
I don't think I've ever seen such fat squirrels in my life.
m
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They are coming up here too.
The weather hasn't been right for a while now. The autumn was totally screwed up, weatherwise, and we haven't had any proper frosts yet (not down here anyway). So maybe there's a lot more confusion going on, rather than it just having been a mild December.
The long-term forecasts are all predicting January temperatures to stay above freezing in most parts. If we're going to get a cold snap, my bet is it will be at the start of February. But maybe it's not coming...
Sadly, I'm predicting a massive adverse impact on our native hibernating reptiles due to the mild weather. If we get harsh weather in March/April, it will make it all the worse.
My cousin has only just got snow in Ohio today! He's normally well into his food stocks by now after getting snowed in.
I noticed our clump of snowdrops poking through well before Christmas. Just been out to look and they're blooming.
Hah, well, in a nutshell...
Reptiles hibernate at a depth of about 1m or more where the temperature stays at a steady 4 degrees centigrade. If the temperature above ground remains high, then they awake from deep hibernation and use up valuable reserves. If it get's even higher, they can venture out and sunbathe. I've seen adders basking on Boxing Day in 2008. This obviously heats them up even more and they use up more reserve body fat. If the temperature then plummets, then they can get caught out hibernating at an insufficient depth and die. Or they can go back to the correct depth and not have enough reserves to last out the season. Even moreso if that season is extended.
Soooo, a good Winter for hibernating animals, is actually a harsh cold one. Cold is good. Which is not something you would have expected, but there you go.
Fascinating - thanks for the education!
Should be a good one for birds though - the little fluff balls are very active here
Should be a good one for birds though - the little fluff balls are very active here
It will be for non hibernating species. Insects will be about for birds (bad for insects of course) if it's warm enough. Damn pheasants will take the reptiles woken up too. The swines.
Snow drops just in bloom here and daffs are 2 inch high. Frost last night and wintry showers greying up the tops this morning.
Crocuses are up, not flowering yet but the buds are ready, periwinkle & Japanese quinces are in flower as are some primroses ( the cultivated varieties, not the wild ones)
There is quite a few wild plants in flower along paths & country roads but I don't know their names
.grass is growing too 
...............I'm expecting to see frog spawn in the ditches anytime now.
12°C. today & 18°C in the sun out of the wind, shouldn't fall below 8°C tonight & 12°C with a possibility of light showers forecast for tomorrow.
I'd better hurry & get the fruit trees pruned before the sap rises
EDIT: Noticed too that the brambles haven't lost their leaves ( still green) & that the stinging nettles are standing proud & 'stinging'
There is quite a few wild plants in flower along paths & country roads but I don't know their names
.grass is growing too ...............I'm expecting to see frog spawn in the ditches anytime now.12°C. today & 18°C in the sun out of the wind, shouldn't fall below 8°C tonight & 12°C with a possibility of light showers forecast for tomorrow.
I'd better hurry & get the fruit trees pruned before the sap rises
EDIT: Noticed too that the brambles haven't lost their leaves ( still green) & that the stinging nettles are standing proud & 'stinging'
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I'd better hurry & get the fruit trees pruned before the sap rises
I'd better get the bird boxes cleaned out before their sap rises too ;-)
Peter
