Spring
The harbinger of spring, the cuckoo can be heard across the hill as the trees come into bud and gorse is in full bloom filling the air with a sweet coconut aroma. Adders and other reptiles awake from hibernation on warm spring mornings, sunning themselves on the western slopes where you can also find Dartford warblers, one the rarest of eight species of warbler found. The vivid green of the new beech tree leaves are a sight to see whilst serenaded by tuneful birdsong on the east side of Black Down. A walk along the woodland rides you will find butterflies fluttering in the sun amongst the wood anemone and celandine. Later in spring the delicate pink lantern shaped flower of the bilberry will be found everywhere, closely followed by the bell heather characteristic of this heathland habitat.