Signs of spring

Although the nights are still cold, we have had some lovely sunny days this week and we can see the signs of spring everywhere: small yellow eranthis, snowdrops, and bulbs peeping out of every flowerbed.
Geese are coming in now and the scene in the bird reserve changed from two sea-eagles on the ice, feasting on a coot last week, to a large flock of golden plover noisily stocking up for their journey up North.
Friday I saw the first two sky-larks above my field.
And although I have seen both the male and the female hen-harrier every day last week, I did not see them this weekend, so maybe they have left now. To Sweden? Or across the Baltic. How nice it would be to know.