Summer has come early in my neck of the woods. I saw the first barn swallow in mid March, OK its was migratory, but my local resident birds have been here since mid April. I saw a nest with a brooding bird today & thats early. I heard my first cuckoo was at half light dawn on 12th April, I have never heard one before 15th in the last 15 years. I've been seeing migratory swifts over the last week & yesterday (5th) the newly arrived residents where screaming around & considering the cool east winds in the south this is early, they normally arrive around the 7th at the earliest. (sad man me keeps bird records, so I do know the dates) Bluebells are all but finished, when I was a kid they started to show at their best for my birthday in mid May.
Now to top it off, my lawns are going brown & I won't tell you about the vegetables as it's a bit depressing !!! We're doomed, doomed I say. 
So what news from other UK regions ???
Posted on: 06 May 2017 by Don Atkinson
On Tuesday (2nd) bluebells were in full bloom in the Spinney and woodlands around Greys Court just west of Henley. So perhaps a couple of weeks early ?
My lawns haven't grown much these last three weeks and our spring flowers, tulips, daffs etc were all a week or two early, south of the A4.
So yes, I think the seasons have moved forwards (ie start early) these past few years.
Posted on: 06 May 2017 by Mike-B
Hi Don, re bluebells, I went on a photo shoot of the bluebells in the woods around Christmas Common, not so far from Henley. Apart from the spectacular blue carpet I was hard pressed to find a specimen suitable for a close up that was not past its best, and that was 22 April.
Posted on: 06 May 2017 by Don Atkinson
Yes, the blue carpets were spectacular, especially in shafts of sunlight, but as you say, on close inspection, individual specimens were past their best!
Posted on: 06 May 2017 by ChrisSU
We don't make life easy for ourselves by living at 1000' above sea level on a N facing hillside in Wales, but a couple of days ago we were sitting in the garden in the evening and the temperature almost hit 20 degrees C. Next day, we drove to London, where it was considerably colder and cloudier, and apparently had been for several days. Needless to say, it's usually the other way round.
