But the signs are good, temperatures have risen steadily, daylight hours have lengthened, some summer migrants have started to arrive and even the sun has been shining.
On the 3rd March, I was at Keyhaven/Pennington, where at first it was raining, but it wasn't long before that cleared away to a nice sunny day.
Highlights were, two juvenile Spoonbills, a male and female Peregrine, busily plucking and eating a fresh kill, a Short Eared Owl, ten Spotted Redshank, two hundred plus Golden Plover and thirty Pintail.
At Moor Green, the pair of Shelduck, presumably the same birds that bred there last year, have returned and are taking a keen interest in the nest site, so fingers crossed that they will breed again.
On the 21st, two Black Tailed Godwit visited the New Workings site at Moor Green. They are not seen here that often, so the sighting was a bonus. They stayed for an hour or so, enough time to refuel and carry on with their migration.
Blackcap and Chiffchaff have started to arrive in increasing numbers, some in song, whilst others set up their territories.
On the 23rd, I was again at Keyhaven/Pennington, on a very calm and sunny day. Highlights were my first Swallow of the year, a male Long Tailed duck, a Spoonbill, two Water Pipit, four Dartford Warbler, a very smart looking male Garganey and a female Marsh Harrier.