Quote Originally Posted by mikecash
I have heard that many Japanese consider the first time in the year they hear the うぐいす (bird)　sing to mark the beginning of spring.
French speakers usually consider the first time they see swallows *a migratory bird as well) as the beginning of spring. Interestingly, the French proverb has it that "One swallows does not make spring", while the English one is "One swallow does not make a summer". That's probably because England is north of France and it takes the bird a bit longer to reach it in their migration. I wonder if such differences in sayings exist between Southern and Northern Japan.