The Art of Noticing

An Early March Field Guide

In this month’s podcast, I spoke about the seasonal changes taking place as we move from late winter into early spring. The Almanac explores these shifts in more depth, but I wanted to create something practical that you can take outdoors.

This Early March Field Guide focuses on the art of 'noticing'.

Noticing is a skill. It can be developed. It is also the foundation of creative practises such as drawing and painting, or just increasing your seasonal awareness.

Next month we will be expanding on this theme, both in the podcast and the Almanac For now, this guide is simply about learning how to look more carefully.

What Does It Mean to Notice?

Most of us look at the landscape in a general way. We register that it is green, cold, bright or grey. Noticing requires slowing that process down.

To notice like an artist means:

• Looking for small changes rather than obvious ones

• Observing edges and details

• Paying attention to texture and contrast

• Comparing what you see this week to what you saw last week

Early March Field Guide

Things to Look For

Use this as a checklist on your next walk.

Hedgerows

• Hazel catkins releasing visible yellow pollen

• Hawthorn buds swelling but not yet open

• The first fresh nettle leaves emerging low to the ground

• Increasing numbers of primroses

• Dog violets in sheltered banks

• Moss appearing brighter after rain

When observing hedgerows, look at the tips of branches. Early spring often begins there.

Woodland Edges

• Lesser celandine opening fully in sunlight

• Bramble leaves showing red tones at the edges

• Early bumblebees moving between willow flowers

• Increased birdsong, particularly chaffinch and robin

• Wood pigeons gathering nesting material

Stand still for a few minutes and listen before moving on.

Water and Damp Ground

• Frogspawn in shallow pond margins

• Bird activity increasing near water

• Green algae forming on still surfaces

• Animal tracks in soft mud

Look down as often as you look up.

Sky and Light

• Noticeably longer daylight after 5pm

• Lower golden light in late afternoon

• Cloud formations shifting with milder air

• Increased dawn birdsong

Compare the light to how it felt in January.

Sensory Changes

• Damp soil warming slightly in sheltered areas

• Fewer frosted patches in shaded ground

• Insects appearing on sunny days

• A subtle change in air temperature out of the wind

Seasonal change is often gradual. The signs are cumulative rather than dramatic.

How to see like an artist

If you would like to practise the art of noticing more deliberately, try this:

1. Focus on One Small Area

Instead of scanning the whole landscape, choose a one-metre section of hedge or ground and examine it closely.

2. Look for Contrast

Notice where new green growth sits against old brown stems.

3. Observe Edges

Look at the edge of a leaf, the tip of a bud, the line where moss meets bark.

4. Compare

Ask yourself what has changed since your last walk.

5. Stay Still

Remain in one place for two minutes. More becomes visible when you stop moving.

These are the same habits that strengthen drawing and observational skills.