Spring emerges despite the weeks of relentless rain

Only a few hours into the new year I noted the first sign of spring on my traditional New Year's Day local patch stroll.

A great spotted woodpecker could be heard sending its rat-a-tat tree-drumming message to advertise for a mate. Spring occurs early in the bird world.

Then I noticed wood pigeons cosying up to each other on rooftops. They don't wait for spring to get amorous, they can breed in any month.

A magpie descended into my garden to detach a loose shrub branch for nesting material and I spotted a carrion crow also carrying sticks.

I saw and heard singing chiffchaffs and blackcaps but it is impossible to know whether they were migrants or not since many of these warblers overwinter in our milder temperature.

Birds apparently ignored persistent rain in the first two months of the year and perhaps wild flowers actually benefited.

Crocuses came and went early while daffodils raised their heads in February though many were flattened by strong winds.

The sign warning drivers of ducks crossing has appeared earlier in Chislehurst this year (Image: Mary Wheeler, trustee of Chislehurst Commons)

Joining the yellow spring throng came primrose, coltsfoot, forsythia, dandelion and celandine. Why is so much of our spring flora yellow? Maybe to indicate imminent sunshine?

Shortly blue will take over as woodland bluebells dominate.

Early migrant bird arrivals included garganey, our only summer visiting duck, swallows, wheatear and little ringed plover.

Before you read this they will be joined by a host of other visitors eager to breed here. How early you see them will depend on your location.

A peacock was my first butterfly of the year on March 2, a full month earlier than my first of the species for 2025. Last year my first was brimstone on March 6, and this butter-coloured early flyer became second on my 2026 list on March 18.

Those seemingly never-ending showers brought contrasting fortunes for my nearest wildlife

At Crossness Nature Reserve in Belvedere many of the paths were under water for weeks and boardwalks flooded leaving progress on certain parts of the reserve impossible.

These conditions are only to be  expected on low-lying grazing marsh alongside the River Thames and they soon improved with strong winds and sunshine. Wheatear has been seen there after arriving from Africa.

Over at Chislehurst Commons the rain was welcomed as it filled up Prickend Pond, Rush Pond and the overflow pond which dried out during last summer's heatwave.

The overflow pond in Chislehurst was near to bursting earlier in the year (Image: Mary Wheeler, trustee of Chislehurst Commons)

Egyptian Geese took the hint and settled down to breed. This brings its own problems with signs erected demanding drivers slow down on nearby roads to avoid geese chicks being squashed while led around the site by parents.

So it's all systems go for our bird breeders with standing water ideal to attract their insect food.

Floods may have dominated 2026 so far but how long will it be before the water companies re-introduce hosepipe bans?