Spring is here, but is the wildlife?
| 11:01 UK time, Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Have you been wondering how the harsh winter affected our wildlife? Or are you concerned about changes in your garden?
BBC Natural History Unit producer and lifelong birder and naturalist Stephen Moss has been taking stock of this spring's wildlife and is here to share his thoughts with you.
As I gaze out over my Somerset garden, where peacock butterflies compete for my attention with singing chiffchaffs, and swallows hawk in the blue sky above, Snow Watch seems an awfully long time ago. Yet it is just three months since we - and our wildlife - were experiencing the hardest winter for more than thirty years.
So can we draw any conclusions from the hard winter and subsequent late spring? For late it is - results from the Woodland Trust Nature's Calendar survey suggest that some spring events may be up to four weeks later than the past few years, and two weeks later than the long-term average. In my own garden, the buds on the ash trees are only just coming into leaf, allowing me to get great views of singing birds usually obscured by thick foliage.Bird numbers do seem to be back to normal: certainly there are plenty of wrens, a species I would expect to have suffered badly in the snow; and also singing song thrushes, dunnocks, tits and goldfinches. Maybe, as we suspected back in January, our new-found habit of feeding garden birds really did make a big difference this year. The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch survey did see a big decline in garden goldcrests - and they do seem very thin on the ground - but others look like they have made it through relatively unscathed.
Small mammals also appear to have done OK - at least according to the totally unscientific survey I did this weekend! My neighbour Alison Tutt of the Mammal Society brought along 17 small mammal traps, of which no fewer than five yielded a small mammal: three (short-tailed) field voles and two wood mice.
Insects appear to have done OK too: recent sightings of butterflies suggest that the hard winter allowed them to overwinter successfully without emerging too early. As Martin Warren of Butterfly Conservation told me, our butterflies have evolved to cope with typical British seasons, so hopefully this year will be a good one after the past three dismal summers.
One group of creatures not directly affected by the hard winter weather are our long-distance bird migrants such as the swallow, willow warbler and cuckoo. So far the only truly long-distance migrants to have returned to my village are the swallows. But in the next fortnight I expect the floodgates to open, with reed, sedge and willow warblers, whitethroats, and lesser whitethroats, to return to the gardens, hedgerows, and lanes of my country parish. Watch this space!
Find out more about flowers blooming earlier as a result of our changing weather and follow BBC Weather's spring updates to see how six spring species are being sighted across the UK.
Have you noticed any changes in the wildlife where you are? Let us know by commenting below.
Comments
I've heard a chiffchaff from my suburban garden - first time I've heard one in my area since I was a little girl (many years ago!)
Frogs and frogspawn seemed less this year, but I've got tadpoles already.
Also haven't heard greater spotted woodpecker drumming from the nearby copse yet, although I've heard the green woodpecker calling.
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Walking along the camel trail on easter monday and saw a number of willow warblers in the bushes - looked as if they had just touched down before travelling onwards
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I saw my first swallow whilst riding on Dartmoor - Thursday 1st April - not fooling.
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I saw a red-backed shrike when climbing Snowdon on Sunday 11 April. I hadn't seen one before and everything I've read says they're not found in the area but I'm positive that I saw one!
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Thanks for your comments everyone.
It's so exciting to hear your sights of spring.
Our twitchiest researcher was vey excited by your find LittleMissTwitcher.
Have you noticed any other changes in your garden wildlife which may result from the harsh winter?
Sam :)
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for all you twitchers out there, reports came in yesterday of a very lost golden pheasant in stockport. i've not seen it myself as i'm still trying to identify the brown blur that shot into my garden to get a fat pigeon. let me know if the golden pheasant is true or not as i'd love to see pics of it. thanks guys
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I've been both interested and concerned about the effect of the winter on our wildlife. Whilst I certainly remember much more severe winters, in terms of lower temperatures in winters gone by, it was the consistency of freezing night time temperatures for several months that I think had most effect. It was almost without break. This thing I have noticed most about our unusual weather patterns in the last few years, the way in which a certain type of weather pattern sets in, then it continues without break for some time. Quite different than our more variable weather of the past.
Certainly many plants are very late, and this is particularly so with the Marsh Marigolds, an important early source of pollen that is very popular with Bees and Hoverflies. The other years I saw some in flower on 31 January, but in many areas in East Lancs the leaves have barely appeared by now, although I did see a couple of flowers in a little sun trap.
As someone who photographs a lot of insects, especially feeding on flowers my eyes are always sharply tuned to what is feeding on flowers. The Bees, both Bumble Bees and Miner Bees have been widespread along with their parasites like the Nomada Bees and Beeflies. However, there have been very few Hoverflies, much, much less than usual at this time of the year. I'm seeing a few Drone flies and others in sunning spots, but they are very few.
Lots of butterflies now. Mainly Peacocks, some Commas and a few Small Whites, but best of all lots of Small Tortoiseshells. I was very worried last year by the how few Small Tortoiseshells around, and yet this used to be one of our most common butterflies, so it is really welcome to see them in such numbers again. I just hope the nettles sprout fast enough for them.
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'We have had Pied Wagtails frequnting our street for several years , at first a handfull or so, last year after nesting there were around thirty ,two remained through winter but one had a golden body . Last night 16th April I noticed there were about a dozen ,all flitting around the street.They nest in large bushes across from the flats we live in ,but dont appear till evening ,always around dusk . is this always their routine ,returning to the same nesting site and going off foraging during the day and returning to roost?
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It pays to sit still in nature for the duration of a cup of tea.
I just sat still on the riverbank, at the end of the day, to drink a cup of tea & was rewarded by seeing a huge Grey Heron flying passed me along the river direction, followed after by a brilliant Kingfisher, (which I've never seen before, ever,) then saw / heard 2 Green Woodpeckers, there are masses of them around here.
Cormorants confirmation:
It is definitely Cormorants we've been seeing on the River Lea, Hertfordshire since January, I was surprised, they look like pre-historic Dinosaur birds. --------- Is this a surprising visitor?
FIRST CUCKOO REPORT:
April 17th I heard the first Cuckoo. We always get them here. Am I the first to hear one?
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In North Norfolk we saw a bumble bee on 1st January 2010, but none after for a very long time.
Sunday 11th April I saw a red kite circling over our sheep, it was chased off by a couple of crows.
Sunday 18th April I saw my first swallow of the season but not for long. Twice now I thought I heard a cuckoo but other noises prevented me from making a positive id. We've had Chifchaffs for a couple of weeks now and also on Sunday we positively identified a Garden Warbler. We've noticed a lot of queen wasps about, be scared, be very scared.
Does anyone know if there is anything that can be done about farmers who hang dead rooks around their fields? It is such an archaic and unnecessary practice.
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Hi this last month in our street,there as been two dead seagulls,one was dead on the roof of a flat and the other in a tree,i have never seen that before,can anyone tell me why .
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I treated myself to a trip to the south coast today and was rewarded with my first swallow sighting this year, coming in over the sea. Magic.
Unusual for our garden: lots of frog activity in the pond but very little resulting frog spawn. Newts seem busy. Also lots of large queen wasps just now. Many large bumble bees and various butterflies - peacock, red admiral, orange tip and a very small blue one.
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22nd April 2010 Whilst dining outside this evening I saw 5 swallows in Abergele North Wales - first this year in this area?
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I have been listening to a greater spotted woodpecker hammering away in Chorlton Park, South Manchester since the middle of February and I have been scanning the trees about that long too. Finally saw it in the top of a tree last week and then again yesterday morning tapping away at the base of a tree just 2 meters from the path. I haven't really tried actively spotting wildlife before so I was very excited for the rest of the day!
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O/T But...
How do you get to contact someone about the offer of a new 5,000acre project in the English borders with Wales please? An email address would be ideal. How about it...
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From our garden in Heacham not far from Pensthorpe we have been watching a pair of kestrels mating and building a nest in the apex of an Owl box and in the bottom of the box are a pair of barn owls who also have a nest
We watched them last year but it was too late for spring watch so started watching earlier this year and was pleased to find that they are preparing for young again this year.
We know you are always looking for something different and this to us is very unusual or is it?
Rob and Geraldine Topliss.
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There seem to be a great quantity of very large Bumble Bees here in East Sussex. Has any body else noticed this?
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Pair of young swallows swooping joyfully about overhead today 24 April in Fovant, Wiltshire
Earliest i've ever seen.
They say one swallow doesn't make a summer?
But if two, is this a good harbinger for a good Summer?
They say a good Summer often follows a harsh winter.
Could be lucky this year then?
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Just saw two Swallows on telephone wires outside White Hart pub in Pirbright Surrey - hoorah - one Swallow doesn't make a Summer - but two might!!! lol!
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Hello Spring Watch!
I've a blue tit nest box and camera - my first time being big brother so I have no experience of their nests. http://bit.ly/cPpW49
The pair have finally gotten their nest together since last monday - however I think it is a little too big.
Is this usual or are these probably inexperienced birds who haven't much practice nest building?
Thanks nD
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It's 26th April in Dunfermline, Scotland, and we have just seen a Robin feeding it's chick in our back garden. What a delightful surprise after this horrible winter which has done so much damage to our bird life.
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My Mum has had some very wierd goings on in her garden that we just can't explain. A Chicken egg was discovered neatly buried in her flower pots. Thinking someone was playing a joke she removed it but the next night something dug up all her flower pots obviously searching for the egg. Has anyone got any ideas as to what animal buried the egg???
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i have been very excited that robins decided to nest in my litle 2 ft fir i have in a pot in my garden, to my horror today one ot the chicks was out i saw it under my day lilly, i noticed as it hopped about something was dragging along behind it, i was concerned about the chick being out as i know it could be about 7 days old, i went to check and it has somehow got a dead baby bird attached to it ! i know i shouldnt have intervened, but guessed it wouldnt survive with that attached to i gently pulled the offending item away and put it back in the nest all with gardening gloves on, 5 mins later it was out of the nest again, i did watch and the parents have been feeding it sparingly since but i havent now seen them for several hrs, i doubt it will survive i wondered what made the chick leave its nest so early, i hope they dont nest there again as i found it to traumatic ! i even put mealworms out for the robins.....but i had a feeling it wasnt being fed enough.
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We were sat looking out at our very suburban garden last Tuesday evening, when we witnessed what we think was a buzzard killing a blackbird, it then ripped the blackbird ( which we called Bertie, as he was a regular visitor to our bird table) to bits, still in the garden, and flew off after 20 mins with Bertie in its mouth. Yesterday evening, we saw the same buzzard, chase and kill a magpie on the rooftops nearby, with the magpies mate hovering nearby.Have never witnessed anything like this before, is this common behavior?
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As in post 17, we have had a lot of large bees in and around Wigan for a few weeks now.
I saw my first swallow on Sunday 25th.April.
This morning i saw a black ladybird with just two red spots on it,i've seen a few red ladybirds but no Harlequins ....yet
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Here in North Norfolk we are getting very worried about our cuckoos. We've still not heard one yet. Last year we only heard one a couple of days running and then nothing. I hope they haven't given up on our area.
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Heard our first cuckoo of 2010 about 7am this morning (29th April). Live near Maidstone, Kent. Have also been seeing a couple of swallows since 3rd April.
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Just been out in our garden in Swadlincote, Derbyshire picking daffodils and I've heard the first cuckoo of the year! We've also had lots of winter visitors to our garden, my 10 year old son has shown great interest, he's seen reed bunting, bull finch, gold finch, mistle thrush, red wing,and long-tailed tit along with all the usuals.
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The swifts arrived in Walthstow London on May 1st which is a couple of weeks earlier than last year. It is wonderful to hear and see them screaming and swooping in the sky. A real harbinger of summer to come.
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I am a true lover of wildlife, but tonight I was shattered. We have some fox cubs who we have worked out have a den on our bank in the garden. Unfortunately my labrador seems to have caught a very young cub, killed it and eaten half of the animal. Is this normal? How on earth do I stop my dogs from heading up the bank for more cubs?
I am so upset. He has killed squirrels, pheasants, rabbits and a hare but this is really awful. However, I love my dogs to bits too!
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You would think that after such a hard Winter, the Hedgehogs would want to stay in hibernation for longer than usual!
However, their activity here commenced as normal - at the usual time, in April, with the warm weather.
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I have a brilliant nestbox camera, a Great tit has nested in it, and she has seven chicks, which look like they are slugs with huge eyes.
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We have a Robin that is having to support 2 cuckoo chicks. They are almost as big as the Robin currently and quite a bit fatter. The Robin feeds regularly from our feeders and we call the 2 cuckoo's Tweedledum & Tweedledee. Is it unusual to have 2 cuckoo chicks being supported by one host - I thought they would have cleared out the nest of all other bodies thus leaving only one survivor? Has anyone else seen this recently. (West Wiltshire)
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We followed a water vole along a path this morning (North Norfolk, coast) and as they are so endangered want to know if we can do anything to protect their environment? Is there some agancy we should inform? Thank you
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I need hedgehog advice please. I have three hogletts who survived the winter after being born in the Autumn. I feed them up and weighed them each week to ensure they were the correct weight before hybinating. However, on their return I notice that two are gettng bigger nicely but the third one is still much smaller and that now all the other hedgehogs are circling it. The smaller one is backing away and making create noises and seems scared being backed into corners all the time. It also seems that this one is being kept from the feeding stations that I have set up around the garden - well apart to enable everyone to get some without being desturbed. Should I do anything to help this little one ? Please advise.....
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when were the first cuckoos here? heard one today at 1.30pm. 10th may.
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the first cuckoo? i live in the middle of town!
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it seems in the town where i live the animals and birds didn't know we had winter. constant fledglings. now there are poorly hedgehogs every were. global warming is such a shame.
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Last week the housemartins which nest in the eaves on our neighbour's and our house returned. They have come every year since the houses were built 15 years ago. Alas this year they have found their territory has been taken by sparrows.
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I live in Stockport and cycle to work every morning through Woodbank park. It has a large woodland area which I ride through at around 6am. This morning I passed a bird that was as brightly coloured as a parrot. I dismounted and took a picture of it as it walked across a road that runs parallel to the park. I approached it and it just walked off into the woodland. When I got to work I looked for the bird online, it was a golden pheasant. further investigations online I came across comment no.6 by wagtail-boogie asking for confirmation of a previous sighting which I am pleased to do.
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