How to Spot the Start of Spring in Beeston
4 degrees right now, but reaching 11 degrees by lunch time. No rain and low wind.
Spring is coming headfirst towards us as the equinox arrives at the end of this week, on Friday. There are a number of definitions of when spring starts, the astronomical start based on the equinox, the meteorological which passed on the 1st of March, and finally the phenological which is much harder to pinpoint.
Phenological spring is the time in which plants and animals start "acting" like it is spring. It is the period that is the most at the whims of nature, and depends on weather, and can differ within regions around the East Midlands.
A good indicator of the start of phenological spring is spotting more insects. So, now is a perfect time to learn a little more about the insect life cycle and on that front there's good news: tonight, Beeston Wildlife Group are putting on a talk about that very thing.
Nigel Downes has video footage to present showing insects transitioning from one stage of life to another. Hours of study and video have been edited together to culminate in the talk, which will run between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Children can attend free, and adults can pay £4 on the door. The event is at Trent Vale Infant School.
Not far from there is Attenborough Nature Reserve. Along with acres of grassland and woodland to inspect for bugs and critters who are just waking up, this is also a good time to see some interesting birds. Many wintering birds will still be around, whilst spring migrating birds will be returning. You may get to spot something interesting in this warming up period.
