The Blog @ Shropshire Wildlife Trust

March is a beautiful time of year where clear signs of spring start to appear. Listen out for the continuing songs of birds like Blackbirds, Song Thrush and Robin as they establish and protect breeding territories.

You only have a short time left now to finish any clearing of ponds, coppicing or tree felling, as any work after the end of March will cause unnecessary damage to the active growth and movement of many species.

Ponds

Frogs and toads start their annual migration back to breeding ponds and waterbodies, so perhaps consider holding a “Toadwatch Patrol” to help prevent these creatures being “squished” on your local roads. Visit the FrogLife website for more information on setting up or joining your local patrol.

Wild Flowers

March provides us with the first delicate glimpses of summer colour. Lush green hedgerows begin to appear, blackthorn blossom, like icing sugar, dusted along roadside vegetation; and even the odd winter storm won’t stop the first flashes of yellow celandine, pink cherry blossom and tiny violets. Look out for fresh green seedlings and early summer growth, even in the most barren of playing fields.

Why not get outside with the class and plant plugs of primrose, violets, and celandine? Enjoy the last shows of snowdrops and get ready for the smell of wild garlic on the air, plus the first leaves of Bluebells, getting ready to put on a great show in Shropshire woodlands during May.

Insects

As the days get warmer and longer, look out for Queen Bumblebees on the search for early nectar sources, such as hellebores, mock orange, witchhazel and lesser celandine. These large bees will feed up and retire to their underground nests, to rear their first daughters- the beginning of a colony that will last through to the end of the summer.

Peacock and Tortoiseshell butterflies will have woken from their hibernation, and will be looking for early nectar sources too. You can help them by leaving shallow containers with small amounts of honey and water, perhaps on sunny window ledges- this will also be a great help for exhausted bumblebees should the weather take an unexpected turn for the worse.

Birds

Listen out for the regular, rhythmic call of one of our early summer visitors - the chiffchaff. The name mimics its call, but try not to confuse it with that of the great tit, who shouts “Tea-cher, tea-cher, tea-cher!”

Rooks; large black birds often seen in groups, are already nesting in distinctive tree top colonies. Do you have a rookery in or near your school grounds? If so, take part in the Shropshire Rookery Survey by clicking here for more information.

All in all, March is a month of great activity- wildlife areas need to be trimmed and cleared before spring fully takes hold, and nature? Well, just sit back after a hard day’s work and watch the world slowly wake up after winter.