On Anna Maria Island in Florida amisland.com it is time for the white flamingos to arrive in the bay. They don't stay around for long and the flock is an incredible sight to see. Take aboat trip with Captain Don Meilmer out around the island and explore the intracoastal waterway. Ask him to take along a barbeque grill and cookout on a sandy beach or small island. Just pick up a few steaks, a salad and some crusty white mountain bread and you have a feast to enjoy in the sunshine. Washed down with a cold beer or a glass of Californian wine, this is outdoor dining at its best. Anna Maria Island is all about the sunshine and the water.

Over in the UK on the Bwlch Tre Banau Estate Spring has arrived. The carp pond is fed by spring water and at this time of year the water iris are starting to grow around the edge, protecting the fish from the heron. They should be starting to come to the surface soon to feed. www.walesholidaycottages.com The pond is also home to a myriad of wildlife including a couple of frogs who languish in the shallows enjoying the spring sunshine. When you walk by they hide under the nearest stone or just freeze, thinking that you can't see them if they don't move, floating suspended in the water.

Down at Torquay in England's west country torquay.uk.com the driveway has just been repaved with brindle pavers and it is now lined with golden daffodils, flowering shrubs and trees emerging from Winter into Spring. The lawns are greening and the flowers in the borders appearing. I never fail to be bowled over by the expansive view of the water that unfolds as you walk through the French windows onto the terrace.