Signs of warmer times are appearing thick and fast. There will be haring in the fields, toad and bird migrations, insects starting to fill the air, and carpets of flowers to cheer the land, and our hearts and souls.
Wildlife to look out for
Many animals are coming out of hibernation. Look out for Peacock, Comma and Brimstone butterflies on sunny days, and the Long-tongued flower bee. Some birds are already breeding: noisy Rooks in their treetop colonies and coastal gannets.
Download the Holly Blue butterfly to use as a monthly desktop calendar. (click on the orange link and then right click on the picture and select 'set as background'.)
© Hans Christoph Kappel
Young rabbits can be seen above ground for the first time in fields and roadside verges. It is a busy time for voles too, with families to feed: you may catch them around hedgerows or field borders. Mayfly and Stonefly can also be found around streams and rivers, as they prepare to emerge as adult insects.
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Flowers
An abundance of primroses and wood anemones will be greeting the eyes of many venturing out for a countryside walk. Carpets of small, beautifully formed, wild daffodils grace meadows and woodlands. Violets, lesser celandine and arum lilies are other early flowers to look out for.
Snowdrops may still be found at the following places:
West Midlands: Dudmaston, Shropshire
Thames & Solent: The Vyne, Hampshire
Wessex: Stourhead, Wiltshire. Kingston Lacy, Dorset
Wales: Plas-yn-Rhiw,Gwynedd. Chirk Castle, Wrexham
Yorkshire: Fountains Abbey
Waders at Coasts and Estuaries
Dunlin, Knot, Oystercatchers, Turnstone and Avocet
Over the winter, waders from northern Europe gather in large colonies around the UK’s estuaries.
Tip: At low tide the tide can go out for long distances in certain places and so do the birds, therefore going out at high tide may mean a better chance of spotting birds.
East of England: Horsey, Norfolk
Wessex: Brownsea Island, Dorset
South of England: Isle of Wight (Newtown), East Head, Chichester Harbour
Northern Ireland: Portstewart Strand, Barmouth & Grangemore, Crom Estate, Fermanagh
© Peter Brash
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Hares
Mad March hares are quite a sight this month, buffeting each other about the fields. These battles are not between rival males, but are females resisting the advances of over enthusiastic male suitors. With the crops still short, this is the best time of year to spot this native mammal.
Herons / Little Egrets
Male heron have an impressive courtship dance where they extends their necks straight upwards and then progressively bend it back until their head touches their backs, the bill remaining vertical throughout. This display normally takes place near areas of water. The Little Egret is a small pure white heron, Brownsea Island is the only National Trust property where these birds nest.
Wales: Stackpole Estate, Pembrokeshire
Thames & Solent: Morden Hall Park, Morden
East of England: Houghton Mill, Cambridgeshire
West Midlands: Berrington, Herefordshire
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Birds
With bird song infusing the air, many of our feathered friends will be in full nest building swing. Mallard broods will be seen on lakes and ponds, and ravens may have fully fledged chicks. Golden plovers and meadow pipits gather in large flocks and depart for their northern breeding grounds. There will also be birds migrating back from warmer climes, sand martins and the first swallows appear at the end of the month.
Song thrushes have an amazing array of songs, so when you go out in to parks, woodlands and gardens listen out for these beautiful singers.
Wales: Bethllwyd Farm (Brecon)
Devon & Cornwall: Killerton, Devon
South East: Sissinghurst, Kent
© NTPL / Stephen Robson
Rooks
Bare, greyish-white face, thinner beak and peaked head make it distinguishable from the carrion crow.
Wessex: Below Crook Peak, Somerset
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Kittiwakes
These birds live strictly on the coast where they come to the UK to breed. Unlike the herring gull they are not aggressive. (breeding season Feb-Aug)
Yorkshire & NE: Northumberland Coast
Northern Ireland: Carrick-A-Rede
© National Trust
Amphibians
Common frogs may still be spawning, but now they are joined by their larger cousins the common toads. Toad migrations are a nocturnal affair and a wonderful sight, many wildlife groups have established road crossing schemes to lower the risk of toad fatalities. The UK’s three species of newt will also be actively spawning.
Frogspawn can be found at the following places:
South East: Frensham Common, Surrey
North West: Sandscale Haws, North of Barrow, off A590 towards Roanhead. Cumbria
Wessex: Snowshill Manor Gardens, Gloucestershire. Tyntesfield, North Somerset
Look out for great crested newts too at this time of year.
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Butterflies and moths
Any moths and butterflies still in hibernation will awaken to search for food, look out for early moth, pale brindle beauty, and winter moth, and red admiral, brimstone, peacock, comma, and small tortoiseshell butterflies.
This month is also the time for the aptly named March moth. If the weather is good the first new season butterflies will emerge, keep an eye out for orange tip, small white, holly blue and speckled wood. Late March is warmer and better for hoverflies, bees and ladybirds.
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