Wildlife Calendar

SPRINGTIME

by Roger Tabor

March

The inconspicuous flowers of Dog's Mercury can be seen in ancient woodlands, and later in the month Wood Anemones ('windflowers') are also abundant in coppiced woods. Hazel and Alder catkins are coming to the end of flowering, but distinctive Pussy Willow catkins appear. Before the Dandelion appears, the wayside plant often mistaken for it by those too hurried to look properly is the Coltsfoot. Alongside streams, behind watermills, the strange pink and white Butterbur flowers appears, which like the Coltsfoot the flowers emerge ahead of the leaves.

Pussy Willow © Roger Tabor

Shiny flowers of Lesser Celandine reflect the sun on warm days in carpets of gold, and drifts of Primroses and pockets of Sweet Violets with hedgerows white with billowing flowers of Blackthorn make it a joy to be in the countryside. Blackthorn flowers ahead of its leaves emerging (unlike the later flowering Hawthorn that waits until it is fully in leaf). On heathland gorse is in flower.

The Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly wakes up and emerges from overwintering places like garden sheds and about on on sunny March days, and similarly some Peacock butterflies are about.

Blackthorn © Roger Tabor

7-spot Ladybirds are soaking up the sun on warm days having emerged from hibernation.

April

If you are lucky enough to have true wild daffodils in your area they are in flower. In damp grassland the pretty Lady's Smock (or Cuckoo Flower) also flowers. The rare Fritillary is also in flower sadly in too few remaining meadows, (but worth going to see). On drier, south-facing slopes, the equally rare Pasque Flower traditionally meets Easter in symbolic purple colouring. More commonly on grassy banks and in meadows Cowslips are a welcome sight. The similar native Oxlip is only found in ancient woods on the north-west Essex, south Cambridge, south-west Suffolk Borderlands. Far more widespread, Bluebells and Early Purple Orchids begin to flower in our ancient woodlands. Heart's Ease, the Wild Pansy brings its colour. The wayside has starry-white Greater Stitchwort, and purple flowers of Ground Ivy, plus taller stem with fresh green leaves and white flowers of Garlic Mustard. Wet woods fill with the scent of the native Wild Garlic or Ramsons as their white flower heads open. Less welcome to those with horses, the Oxford Ragwort flowers.

Pasque Flower © Roger Tabor

As the poem says “Oh to be in England now that Aprils there,……while Chaffinch sings….”

However, some start in March. Willow Warblers too can be heard in April.

April 25th: St. Mark's Day – the St. Mark's Fly is seen flying about around this day, large black flies with dangling legs.

The Orange-tip Butterfly visits the Hedge Garlic. The Bee-fly which so resembles a bee is about, yet its distinct hover and long proboscis give away its true identity.

The common Buff-tailed Bumble Bee can be seen on the wing in April, as can some Hover Flies.

May

In wet meadows and beside water the magnificent Marsh Marigold or King Cup flowers in grand clumps. In wood walks and hedgerow edges the Red Campion comes into flower. New roadsides often sing with the massed flowers of Ox-eye Daisy. In gardens, hedges and woods the distinctive Herb Robert is in flower, and along woodland walks so is Herb Bennet. Wild Mignonette flowers with a preference for chalk. A flower of cornfield edges and roadsides is the Scented Mayweed.

The most visible flowers of May are the continuous lacy heads of Cow Parsley on the wayside, with above filling the hedgerow the amazingly abundant white flowers of May or Hawthorn. Hedges are dotted with Elder also in flower, whilst the noble Horse Chestnut is covered with candelabras of flowers. More discrete in the shade are the remarkable green flowers of the Arum (Cuckoo Pint). In damp hedges and woods the unmistakeable creamy white flower-heads of Guelder Rose open. Ivy-leaved Toadflax is flowering on walls, Kidney Vetch on heaths with clumps of Wild Thyme. Sea Campion flowers on the coast and White Campion elsewhere. Grassland is full of flowering Red and White Clover and Medick.

Wayside Crab Apple Trees come into pinky-white flowers, and that rare but useful indicator species, the Wild Service Tree, seen at the edges of some ancient woodland also opens into white flowers.

Birdsong is joined with the resonant sounds of more migrant warblers, like the Sedge and Reed Warblers near water.

The striking Poplar Hawkmoths and White Ermine Moths can be found resting during the day. The scarlet and black Cinnabar Moth can be seen flying in daytime, (its stripy caterpillars feed on Ragwort).

The strikingly cruciform White Plume Moth will be seen on grass in the day.

The glorious Banded Demoiselle Damselfly, and the less showy Blue-tailed Damselfly, can be found flickering over our streams and rivers from May through high Summer. Red-tailed Bumble Bees normally emerge from hibernation in May.

Mayflies do live up to their name and emerge from our streams from May onwards. Alder Flies with heavy dark lacy wings appear. Scorpion Flies begin to be seen in hedges, unusual looking insect, “part moose-head, and definite scorpion tail”!

Green Shield Bugs emerge from hibernation