Countryman: Spring's really in the air (From Hereford Times)

Countryman: Spring's really in the air

8:00am Friday 19th March 2010 in

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HARD on the heels of some of the harshest winter weather for many years, the first sunlit days of early March came as welcome relief, renewing the optimism of a new year.

While St David’s Day passed without the appearance of a single daffodil, the snowdrops did their best to make up for the lack of colour in countryside and garden, and there have been some spectacular displays of this muchloved flower.

Of course, the bright days have been accompanied by cold nights, which have further delayed the development of our spring flowers by up to a month, but the signs are there, as crocuses unfold, and the golden tips of tardy lent-lilies emerge from their green sheaths.

Hazel trees shimmer in the sunlight, as masses of catkins wave gently in the breeze, and close examination reveals the tiny red female flowers which will catch their pollen, to mature into this autumn’s crop of tasty nuts.

The warmer days have also stirred many of our garden and wild inhabitants into spring mode, and bird behaviour changes by the day.

The basic needs of seeking food and surviving the night have been supplemented to include the establishment of territorial and breeding rights, through display, song and occasional aggression.

After weeks in which birdsong has been at a minimum, it is good to hear song thrush, dunnock and greenfinch warming up for the main event.

All three local species of owl hoot or screech on a good night, and we have enjoyed the presence of a barn owl quartering the lower field, even catching sight of a strike on one of the many small voles which inhabit that area.

Insects have been fooled into early wakening, and numbers of bumble bees have emerged on sunny days.

I always feel concern for these bees, as I understand that the few flowers open at this time produce very little nectar, though the early heather in our garden always proves to be popular.

Unfortunately, while bees increase their activity as they absorb the sun’s warmth, they sometimes fall victim to the rapid decrease in temperature in late afternoon, and become casualties when they fail to make it back to their nest.

On a slightly larger scale, we have been surprised to see a few bats flying at dusk on the warmer days, though there appeared to be very few insects on the wing.

Again, it seems that at least one had misjudged its timing, for we found a dead long eared bat near our outbuildings.

It looked to be in reasonable condition, so we assumed that it had failed to reach its roost before succumbing to the cold.

Though sad in itself to lose one of these valuable creatures, it did provide the opportunity to see a “long ear” at close quarters, and to examine the features that make it such an efficient insect hunter. While its name provides an obvious clue, it was still interesting to find that its ears were almost as long as its body, and the structure of its semi-transparent wing membrane and tiny bones almost too fragile to serve their purpose.

As I often mention, we also like to get out and about, sharing our visits between hill, forest, coast and places of interest. The latter certainly applies to the lake at Llandrindod Wells, especially over the past year, where I have been following the progress of the extensive works being carried out to improve the natural environment.

Two circuits provide good exercise and there are sometimes one or two of the less common species among the resident wildfowl.

Our last visit coincided with the guest appearance of a Mandarin drake, and, though these exotically coloured ducks are by no means rare, his presence provided the centre of attraction for many, one or two people admitting they had visited the lake particularly to see him.

As with several of our more unusual wildfowl, the Mandarin, an Asian species, was introduced to a few ornamental lakes, but escapees have since bred and established a feral population.

I think the period from March into April is a wonderful time to be outdoors, to appreciate the marvellous transformation of garden, park and countryside as they emerge from the grey days of winter.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that we can put away our warm clothes and wheel out the barbecue just yet, for the month of March has a habit of providing a few last reminders before we can say that winter is truly behind us.

JOHN WESLEY