Springing Spring?

The debate about whether Spring is coming earlier is nicely encapsulated in an illustrated double page check list in the Saturday Guardian of 16th February (not on the web, probably because of the copyrights of the contained images?). People in the UK were invited (as on this blog) to note the early occurrence of plant-related events such as the first appearance of Lesser celandine (already here earlier than their average date of February 21st), Snowdrop (again already out), Bluebell (no sign of these 'classic' woodland flowers that generally appear in early April), Hawthorn (the leaves already emerging from the buds locally rather than the middle of March), the Blackthorn (no sign of the flowers yet) and leaves of the Ash (firmly 'locked' to date), Oak (also not emerging) and Horse chestnut [Aesculus hippocastanum] (certainly movement in some buds already rather than the typical mid April date). People are also encouraged to note activity in insects including Bumblebees (already encouraged to emerge from their winter hibernation to forage for nectar and pollen), Ladybird (not seen here as yet), Small tortoiseshell butterfly (again, tempted from hibernation on warm days already), Peacock butterfly (not seen locally yet), Red admiral (also glimpsed sporadically locally) and the Orange tip butterfly (not seen yet but there is no sign of its food plant, the Cuckoo flower). Spotters are also asked to check for frog spawn that generally appears in February/March but has been viewed in some parts of the UK in January or even December. The earliest deposits are seldom viable and I have not located spawn in the vicinity. The hatching tadpoles generally appear in April (no sign of these as yet). Many of the remaining clues to an early Spring involve birds. They include Blackbird nesting (with first clutches generally seen in March), Blue tit egg laying (usually seen in nest boxes in early April), Cuckoo calling (generally heard in the last week of April), Song thrush singing (now to be heard in late January to early February) and arrivals of the Chiffchaff (typically in March/April), the House martin (most commonly in the last week of April), the Swift (usually arriving in early May) and the Swallow (surging in from Africa in mid April). There has not been much of these suggested bird activities locally yet with the exception of Song thrush song (but a correspondent has reported robins nesting in Pennard). I would be interested if others in the vicinity have noted any of the activities not yet detected by my failing systems.