Natures Diary |
< March > |
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ADRIAN'S PHOTO'S |
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At last the evening nights are starting to pull out, the clocks will spring forward and there is anticipation in the air for the start of a new season ...
Animals:
"Mad as a March Hare" - Scanning of open arable fields may reveal the amorous advances of male Brown Hares trying to court a female. However if she is unwilling to accept his advances, then a resulting boxing match may ensue with the animals rearing up, the kicking, chasing and jumping behavior resulting in the phrase.
Bats start to stir from hibernation as insect life on warmer evenings increases.
Toads and Frogs spawn in ponds. Large balls of Toads can often been seen as the males scramble to reach a female. Toads on roads are especially vulnerable at this time of year as they migrate to their breeding areas and often dedicated volunteers from ARG's (Amphibian & Reptile Groups) will collect the Toads and move them across out of danger during the hours of darkness.
Birds:
Bird nesting starts with a vengeance this month. In particular Long Tailed Tits start building their fantastic and very intricate and labour intensive nests. Nests are dome shaped and are built from thousands of pieces of moss and lichen stuck together with strands of cobweb. The inside is lined with feathers and can take about 3 weeks to complete.
Plants:
Daffodils, and Crocuses brighten the garden. Catkins on the Silver Birch appear and the trees themselves still stand out in woodlands. They are often referred to as a ‘Pioneer’ and light demanding species since they are one of the first tree species to appear on cleared land where they grow best when not shaded. Often they are considered to be an invasive plant on the open heath as they colonies it so well and can change the environment to one of woodland. Razor strop’ fungus (Piptoporus betulinus) brackets grow readily on dead birch trees and is so named since it was once commonly used to hone cutthroat type razor blades. The underside can also be used to absorb liquids.
Insects:
You would have expected a Mayfly to be named because it emerges generally during the month of May, but there is a rarer form called the Brown March Mayfly which again as the name suggests emerge from large unpolluted rivers around midday at the end of the winter. Larvae drift along in the water and as they emerge at the surface become easy targets for fish and so time is of the essence and within 30 seconds they are fully emerged and fly out of reach from the fish.