The first signs of spring to look out for

Get excited for the new season, from lighter evenings to flowers.

signs of spring

by Lorna White |
Published on

There's something so special about seeing spring slowly but surely start to creep in around the months of March and April.

From the first snowdrops and daffodils to the lighter evenings and growth on the trees, there are a number of changes taking place in nature that indicate the first glimpse of spring.

We've rounded up some of the most noticeable changes taking place for you to look out for.

Spring flowers

snowdrops

You can see the first signs of spring as early as January thanks to the snowdrops which begin to poke through the frozen ground well before spring.

After this, you'll see purple crocuses, iris, winter aconite and scilla and daffodils into March. Finally, you'll spot bluebells in early May, which are one of the final ones to flower.

Insects

Spring bees

Spotted any bumblebees or butterflies? These flying creatures are often one of the first insects you might see flying around and they come as a result of the temperatures increasing.

These insects exit hibernation around the end of February and beginning of March in search of a place to nest.

Lambs

Lambs

It'll soon be lambing season, and there's nothing quite as joyful as seeing baby lambs bounce around the fields. They'll start being born around early spring, so you can expect to see some lovely little lambs on your walks.

Garden lawn

lawn mower

There's nothing quite like the smell of freshly cut grass to make it feel like spring, and it'll soon be time to get the lawn mower out to give your grass its first cut of the year.

Read more: Everything you need to know about the best lawn mowers

Singing birds

birdsong

You'll start to hear the bird song from February time, as the birds starts to attract mates. This dawn chorus is mainly made up of chirping blackbirds, robins and wrens and you can hear them at their loudest in the morning just before sunrise.

The dawn chorus is at its peak in May and there's even an International Dawn Chorus day on May 5.

Nest building

bird nest

Not only are the birds busy making song, they're also preparing their bowl-shaped nests with woven grass, twigs, moss and even mud.

You might see them appearing in trees and also on some roofs too.

Tree buds

tree-buds

If you take a close look out the window at the tree branches, you might start to spot some little buds forming. These buds have been laying dormant since the autumn, and they just need a good amount of sunlight to burst into life.

Some trees might be full of leaves or even flowers. You might also see bright and cheery cherry blossom appearing on trees in pink and white.

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