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For me, the first sight of a bumblebee or butterfly is a spring rite of passage. There are few more poignant giveaways that the season has changed than seeing these fragile, flower-loving creatures out and about. From the amount of sightings we've had from you, it seems most of you feel the same way.

Bees

As , the bumblebees around at the moment are likely to be Bombus terrestris. The buff-tailed bumblebee queen, the largest UK species, is usually the first bee to emerge, often at the end of February. Though spotted one on 12 February and Springwatch producer Richard Taylor-Jones caught one a whole month earlier in Deal, Kent.

The geographical split and date of our other sightings - from the , , and , , and in Scotland (pictured rather beautifully above) all from the last week - suggest Bombus terrestri is well on the way to finishing its hibernation. The other queen bee possibly out and about at the moment is Bombus lucorum, the white-tailed bumblebee. If you're interested, Bumblebee.org have a lovely .

Butterflies

Onto the butterflies. Autumnwatch contributor Ed Drewitt . Over on the Springwatch photo group Ian Boyd took on the Isle of Wight last week. Jim Bennett also . Also in the north-west, Dan Mitten was lucky enough .

Martin Goodey . "Not pristine but not tatty either," he says. "These late winter/early spring migrants are thought to be a race from North Africa rather than the near continent. They've been reported in Cornwall since the 20th February."

Child of Herne . "I told the butterfly group and was informed that occasionally you get early migrants from North Africa," he says.

Other species - small tortoiseshells, commas, peacock, brimstone and some red admirals as adults - don't migrate. Instead the adults hibernate here over the winter. has some excellent advice on how you can help them shelter over the cold months.

Thinking about overwintering butterflies inevitably raises the issue of climate change. reports that the January mild spell brought all five overwintering species out of hibernation. While this isn't proof of anything in itself, there is evidence that warmer winters are starting to affect butterflies. Butterfly Conservation has found that "red admirals in particular are now surviving our winters in increasing numbers in the far south."

Oil beetles

A less iconic insect but in its own way as fascinating as the butterfly or the bee is the . It begins its life in an egg laid close to a bee nest. After hatching, the larva climbs up a flower and then hitches a lift on a bee's back to the bee nest. Here it will spend the rest of its life feasting on pollen and bee eggs. Nice.

But it needs help. It's thought - though not known for sure - that five out of nine oil beetle species have been lost in this country. So if you want to help gather more info, from 25 March Buglife is running an . Register on its website and get an ID guide. This time last week it had three records which is , according to Buglife's Andrew Whitehouse.

Adders

. So it's always good to hear of sightings. Stephen Duffy at the end of February, then another a week later around the corner. Mike McCarthy took an intimate photo (below) of one on 3 March in Aberkenfig in Wales.

Birds

No update about spring would be complete without news of the birds. Hot off the press from Paul Stancliffe at the is that the light southerly winds during the early part of this week brought with them some summer migrants. So far there's been (mostly on the south coast although one was in Glamorgan), (all in the southern part of the country) and in Cornwall and Somerset.

Also, the first hoopoe of the spring was seen on Cornwall on Monday and yesterday a little ringed plover arrived at Beddington Sewage Farm, London.

Paul's guess is the strong westerlies we have right now will stop any more migrants arriving at least for the next couple of days. The winds are due to turn southerly on Saturday and become lighter on Sunday morning. So if you're on the lookout for more avian tourists, Sunday morning might well be the time.

Blue and great tits should be starting to nest right now. That is exactly what's happening in at least four nest boxes in . Though poor Pippa Roberts in south Lincolnshire .

If you've seen any nesting (or indeed any other spring signs) then please let know: so far this year it's had .

Keep us posted

How has spring been for you so far? Is it different this year - are you seeing more or less of any usual signs? Is it coming later or earlier for you?

Post a comment right here and let us know. Or if you're on , tweet with the hashtag and also see what other people are experiencing. There's over on our on this very subject. If you have photos, please post them there.