Spring has sprung?

As I write this, the sun is shining outside the office window. Yellowhammers are singing in the hedge, lapwings are doing display flights and the whole atmosphere just feels much more like spring. What a change from a couple of days ago! Sleet, snow, hail and sub zero temperatures. Mind you, there was still ice on my car this morning and on the road into the reserve. So it could all change again.

Not surprisingly due to the *ahem* 'interesting' weather we've been having, visitors and hence sightings have been a bit thin on the ground. The highlight so far is the spoonbill that has turned up on the saltmarsh today, a week after two were seen in the same spot. So, what have we seen so far this week?:

Yellowhammer – Marvelous close views on males in full breeding plummage under the feeders at the visitor centre. Males now singing to proclaim territories too 
Lapwing – the leucisitic bird is still about, most often to be seen on the wet grassland 
Goosander – a female was in the reedbeds again today 
Brambling – odd individuals still turning up in the hedgerow by the centre, and sometimes on the feeders 
Whooper swans – Up to 20 birds can be seen first thing in the morning on the scrapes, before they fly off to feed. 
Brown hare – Well, it is March! Often to be seen racing about the wet grassland before scuffling with each other
Smew – Not at Frampton, but there has been a male reported from Freiston Shore

Looking at the weather report though (see below) it may well be we get some extra migrants coming in over the weekend.

Into your waders? The following tide times should give you an idea of when best to visit (either Frampton Marsh or Freiston Shore)

Weekend tides

And if you do visit, what will the weather be like?

Weekend weather

Friday - Nice in the morning, but cloud building up and generating some light rain in the afternoon. Temperature isn't too bad, with a high of 7 Celsius. The wind is a brisk southerly.

Saturday – Looking a touch on the damp side. Rain in the morning, lessening down to showers in the afternoon. Temperatures are steady at 7, the wind lessening but staying from the south.

Sunday – heavy rain forecast for first thing, but then drying up somewhat into sunshine and showers. Temperature is much the same as on the previous days, wind a brisk southerly.

Monday – The rain will be much less, with only some showers in the afternoon. Temperatures will dip a little, though not much. Top temperature forecast to be 6 C. The wind will veer round to the east.