SPRING AWAKENING! March/April
2008
Thank God! As the song goes, 'We've made it through
the night!' And our reward in March and April is an audible,
visible gear-change of sound, colour and motion as everything
begins to kick off with the urgency of a new season - a new food
supply brings breeding possibilities and so the 'greatest show
on earth' stirs into action. Its time to celebrate and now's
the time to get your adrenaline rush with an early spring tonic
One of the first signs of spring of course is the 'first rose',
the 'prima rosa, or primrose. Delightfully delicate harbingers
of spring they are among the first flowers of the undressed countryside.
Bare branches are the backdrop to a floral display of celandines,
wood anenomes and then bluebells that demands your appreciation,
gladdening the heart and sending a tingle down to your toes.
Insects hum new tunes for a new season and the buff-tailed bumble
bee is one of the first and largest of our 18 species of bumblebee
to get busy at this time. In the warmer spells, you'll also see
hover flies, like billy-whizz - dashing here and there in a fast-paced
join-the-dots pattern of random movement. Their larvae roam about
inside the nests of bees and wasps and then squeeze inside a
cell with a developing grub, exciting it to secrete its excrement
upon which it feeds. Don't you just love insects!
Whilst you bushcrafters are setting up your survival hammocks
for a new season of camping, the natural world are full of creatures
climbing out of theirs. Many caterpillars emerge now, crawling
out of hibernation to provide a early food source for many of
the birds. There are butterflies too that overwinter, including
the small tortoiseshell, peacock and the brimstone, the original
'butter' fly. Its all in a precise sequence of course, the plants
begin, providing food for insects which supply the birds that
produce a bounty of young, which then satiates the appetites
of the predating birds and mammals.
Now this time of year also comes with a warning....'beware the
tides of March!' The equinox brings the most extreme tides, which
for wildlife enthusiasts is a great opportunity to come face
to face with truly wild creatures. Rockpool rambles are brilliant
at any time of the year, but in spring and autumn the low tidal
reach means even more treasures from the deep. For example, although
they breed from November to May, March is the peak breeding month
for hermit crabs which are now more likely to be found in rockpools
exposed by those very low tides. Needless to say, hunting about
in these habitats is one of the few places to get your fix of
the wild - where else can you get so close to the wildest creatures?
Its also such an easy, safe and stimulating environment for kids
too - no need for example to coax them into sitting still for
ages waiting for a possible sighting of wildlife, that may or
may not oblige.
March also sees the early migrants arrive eg chiff-chaffs from
southern europe, and wheatears from Africa amongst the first
to make it to Britain - a desperate marathon race for the best
breeding sites, the winners establishing the larger, more productive
territories. As the early spring progresses more voices are added
to the dawn chorus, with each species timing their entry with
available food supplies.
As usual, there is a precise sequence to spring, and each species
will only breed when there will be food for its young. Tawny
owls breed early because their preferred diet of mice and voles
are more conspicuous before the vegetation grows thick. Tits
will wait until April to breed to ensure the caterpillar bloom
is in full swing. These busy little birds will need over a hundred
caterpillars a day to satiate a nestful of hungry mouths. Sparrowhawks
will bide their time in the same way, starting later in the season
waiting for these tit fledgings which are easy pickings, much
like waitng for a fast-food outlet to open.
What I love about the natural world is that some of the most
extraordinary is to be found in the ordinary. Take jenny wren,
our most common bird for example. March sees the male wrens become
avid property developers, building as many ten nests in order
to attract a mate. Typical bloke, he only really builds the main
framework, leaving her to line the nest and make it cosy, giving
it the proverbial feminine touch. (Refreshingly, and just to
challenge our stereotypes, its often the female bird in some
species that will be the nest builder) As they say in the building
trade, you have to 'speculate to accumulate'. So he has several
alternatives to offer, and then when she's happy, and busy with
home furnishings, he'll then attempt to maximise his breeding
potential by luring another prospective tenant with another enticing
'advert in the local paper', or rather his impressively big song.
For such a small bird, they have a remarkably loud voice. For
a bird that lurks in the dense patches of undergrowth, its a
case of being heard and not seen.
By the end of March and the beginning of April, the dawn chorus
is in full swing. A mad male voice choir that is designed to
both attract and repel. The songs lay down a marker to other
males of the same species, and enable the competitiors to sort
it out without resorting to violence, like a modern day poetry
slam. The females within earshot will also be attuned to the
prowess of these posturing males, and will select from these
auditions to see which of them has the required 'X factor'. Its
a time of year to leave the window open at night to let this
extraordinary performance feed your early morning dreams.
Even though there are now 35million fewer songbirds than 30 yrs
ago, at least once this spring, indulge yourself in a dawn chorus.
Its a different kind of rock concert I know, and you do have
to put the effort in by getting up early. But its a free ticket,
and if you go with a friend you'll turn it into an exciting,
meaningful musical event you will remember forever.
WildWise's first public event of the year is
very soon, timed to make the best of this wonderful time of year.
'Spring Awakening' is a course that invites you to indulge in
the sights, smells and sounds of a gorgeous Devon bluebell wildwood
in spring....intoxicating! |
