While lots of animals have been hibernating through the winter, I’ve taken to discovering wildlife in a whole new way – online! Having recently discovered many budding ecologists also love the channel AntsCanada on Youtube, I thought I’d recommend it more broadly. It’s all about a mans at home little rainforest! Despite being rather exotic, I am confident you will be fascinated learning how ecosystems work – from tiny ants to huge trees, every creature plays its part. This essential ecosystem balance rings true for any habitat across the world. If you want something a little closer to home, Joanna Page’s Wild Life on BBC2, where she volunteers with a wildlife rescue here in the UK!
But don’t forget to look outside too – because nature is waking up in the most amazing ways! There are some rather striking displays of white, red and even purple. How many colours can you spot in your local park or garden?
Here’s your March Nature check list:
Fun-guys - It is definitely a great time for fungi. My favourite our members have seen recently are the bright red Elf Cups. These striking mushrooms can be found across damp woodland floor. Elves were once believed to drink morning dew from them, hence their name!
Spring flowers - Snowdrops are already out in full force, but have you spotted any big yellow daffodils or tiny white blackthorn flowers yet? These are super important for the first bees waking up from hibernation, so let’s enjoy them without picking them.
Brave bees – You may have already seen the brave Buff-tail bumblebees buzzing around but Tree bumblebees and White-tail bumblebees should be emerging soon to join them. If you want to know which bee you’ve spotted the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has a great ID guide to help you!
Level up your bird ID - Goldfinch, dunnock, robins and wrens are all out at the moment but when you are looking for a bird as small as a wren it helps to listen for them too. If you want to learn birds calls this year, try the Merlin bird ID app. A couple of super cool birds you might be able to spot that are a little harder to find are kingfishers (pop down to Elizabeth gardens) or treecreepers (a quiet little dude that climbs tree trunks).
Frogspawn alert! - Another treasure I am told is starting to pop up is frogspawn! Keep your eyes peeled for these clustered bubbles of baby amphibians as they start to populate our ponds. I haven’t seen any myself yet…have you?
Outdoor Activities
