Daddy Long Legs

I came across my first daddy long legs of the year today - or rather, my wife came across it before I did. She left the room, to give me time to swat it.
So I caught it in a jar, and released it outside.

The point is though, that surely this is too early in the year for them, even here in Kent. I don't recall seeing them in May before. It's normally been July.

Has anyone else seen them this early before?

 

Yes, oddly enough I spotted one last week and a bigger one just today. It used to be the end of summer in my day, but perhaps this is the end of summer

 

I saw one yesterday and it wasn't the first this year, I don't usually see them until late summer.

 

Yes - we often see them around this time of year, or slightly later - damp ground and a bit of warmth and they explode.
The lower slopes of the hill I was on last Friday had loads, simply because of the current conditions. That kind of habitat suits them very well though.
The larvae/grubs often don't survive winters well though, but this past few winters have been so mild that they're managing more easily, and I'm seeing more and more damage to lawns from the crows etc getting in and finding them. You never used to get that here at all- a few small scraps of pecked grass here and there was about it.

 

Not seen any, I think they like nice lawns rather than rock hard grass
When I was young we had loads of them every autumn but I see very few these days.

 

I'll collect some and send them to you @pete