Chiffchaffs

The chiffchaff, a little brown bird named for its distinctive ‘chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff’ song, is a welcome herald of spring.

One of the first migrants to return from Africa, some birds are even starting to spend the winters in the UK as the weather becomes milder. They’re very similar in appearance to willow warblers so their song is the best way to tell them apart. Listen out for them in woodlands, parks and areas of scrub.

Have a listen to the chiffchaff:

Queen bumblebees

This is the time of year when queen bumblebees, who have spent the entire winter hiding safely underground, emerge from their holes.

Among the first species to emerge are the aptly-named early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) and the common carder (Bombus pascuorum).

The first thing the queens do on emerging is find spring flowers such as snowdrops, crocuses or daffodils, to drink as much nectar as they can. They will need the energy: the next thing they have to do is find a suitable nest site - often a disused mammal burrow - and start building their nest and laying the first of many eggs.

Bee-flies

An imposter!? Bee-flies are a group of true flies (like bluebottles and house flies) that have evolved yellow and orange fur which mimics bumblebees. In March they are among the first flying insects to appear on sunny days, hovering in front of primroses and drinking nectar like tiny hummingbirds.

Listen out for the high-pitched whine produced by flapping their wings hundreds of times per second. Every spring there is a light-hearted competition to see who will be the first to see a bee-fly, part of the ‘Bee-fly Watch’ national monitoring scheme.

Find out more about bee-flies in our blog

Blackthorn blossom

Unusually for many trees, the blossom on blackthorn appears before the leaves, giving rise to the phrase ‘blackthorn winter’ when hedgerows are filled with blossom which can look like a covering of snow.

Blackthorn is an important plant for wildlife throughout the year. The delicate white flowers are a useful source of nectar for insects in early spring, the thorny branches are ideal places for birds to safely nest, and young blackthorn is essential for the rare brown hairstreak butterfly, which lays its eggs on the branches. Later in the year, sloes, the blackthorn’s fruit, provide food for birds.

Blackthorn is among the great variety of shrubs which can be found at Grangelands and the Rifle Range near Princes Risborough.

Bats

Look out for bats emerging on warmer evenings to look for insects to eat. The common pipistrelle bat is the most common bat in the UK and can often be seen in towns as well as rural areas. They usually hibernate through the winter months but may emerge to feed when there are warmer nights.

Sand martins return

The tiny brown-and-white sand martin is the first of the swallow-like birds to return to the UK after spending the winter in Africa.

From March onwards, you can spot these minute birds swooping over lakes and reservoirs feeding up on insects such as gnats and other flies. A great place to look out for them is our Hosehill Lake reserve just outside Reading.

Soon, the sand martins will start to make their nests, digging burrows in steep, sandy cliffs, usually around water – their scientific name, Riparia riparia, means ‘riverbank’ in Latin. These tunnels can be up to a metre long!

Nesting robins

With the spring equinox approaching, sand martins aren’t the only birds with nesting in mind. Famous as friendly visitors to our gardens, robins are actually extremely territorial and will defend their nesting sites aggressively. This is the time of year when they start to build those nests and lay their eggs.

Over the coming weeks, the male will allow a female into his territory, where she will then set up a nest of dead leaves, moss and hair. Nests often crop up in the oddest of places, such as plant pots, old wellies and shelves, but ivy and other shrubs are their natural choice.

Many other garden birds also start nesting at this time of year, such as wrens, thrushes, blackbirds and tits.

Wood anemones

Carpets of wood anemones indicate areas of ancient woodland because these delicate flowers, which bloom between March and May, spread very slowly through the growth of their roots, perhaps as little as six feet in a hundred years.

The leaves have a musky smell, giving wood anemones one of their other common names, ‘smell fox’.

Large patches can be found at the magnificent woodland at Finemere Wood where they are a firm favourite of the reserve’s volunteer work party leader, Charlotte Karmali, who writes about her experience in our monthly Ramblings from Finemere Wood blog.

Otters

The elusive otter is one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish, waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. They may be spotted throughout the year, although seeing the signs of otters is far easier than seeing the animals themselves.

Along riverbanks and waterways, look for five-toed footprints and droppings (or 'spraints'). Otters leave spraints in prominent places, such as fallen trees, weirs and bridges, as scented messages to help them find mates and defend territories. They contain visible fish bones and have a distinctive, pleasant smell, reminiscent of jasmine tea!

Buzzards

A rare sight until more recently, buzzards are the most commonly seen medium-sized birds of prey across the UK, with their mewing calls becoming an increasingly familiar part of our soundscape.

In spring, the higher temperatures allow rising columns of warm air to form, which buzzards can use to lift up at little cost to their energy. Male buzzards make the most of this aerial advantage by performing a 'roller coaster' display, soaring up high and then swooping down over and over again to attract a mate. So keep you eyes on the skies!

Learn more about birds of prey

What to do in March