Record breaking February temperatures, sun shining, bees foraging, and spring flowers popping up everywhere. How can you not feel cheerful? Last Thursday was the first grass cut of the season, on Saturday I saw a couple of Brimstones flitting about and on Monday I noticed Blackthorn flowering. Time to report Nature’s Calendar timings.
Last week the sun shone and temperatures increased; in fact some days were unusually warm for the time of year. However, as gardeners will testify, you shouldn’t get too carried away, colder temperatures and frosts (that nip unprotected tender seedlings) can quickly return. It was lovely to see nature basking in the sunshine though (eager to enjoy the moments of glorious weather just like the rest of us) as winter flowering plants are joined by spring blooms and insects, amphibians and birds become more active.
Last week I noticed the dawn chorus begin in earnest. On Wednesday morning I managed to identify ten birds (by sound) when bird calls were heard alongside singing; those birds were Jackdaws (Corvus monedula), Crow (Corvus corone), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), Pigeon (Columba palumbus), Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), Coal tit (Periparus ater), Great spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), Magpies (Pica pica) and Sparrows (Passer domesticus).
I even heard Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) singing throughout the day on several occasions. As these birds are red on the UK conservation status (and therefore protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) it is always wonderful to hear these birds located in different places as I worked nearby.
Robins could be seen in pairs, relinquishing their incredibly territorial need to be the only robin within a garden and allowing a mate to feed alongside them. I also saw frogs and newts becoming active in ponds; it won’t be long before we see frogspawn.
At the beginning of the week, there was a gentle buzz of Honey bees (Apis mellifera) around several shrubs; the intoxicating aroma enticing them to feed on the nectar and collect pollen.
Lots of Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queens emerged too, taking advantage of all the crocuses and heathers currently in bloom.
Another shrub that started to put on a show were Camellias. Although these are beautiful, they don’t appear to entice wildlife to them.
Wildflower seedlings started too pop up in gardens, although not every seed requires soil. On a weekend walk I saw vivipary in action. Vivipary is the germination of seeds while they are still inside the seedhead rather than when they fall to the ground.
The next tree that has begun to bloom is the blackthorn. Buds and flowers appear before leaves unfurl. This is the opposite to Hawthorn which also blossoms slightly later in the year.
Blackthorn are good trees for for wildlife, the flowers providing nectar and pollen for bees at this time of year. The leaves too are a food source for caterpillars of several moths, including the Magpie (Abraxas grossularia), Swallow-tailed (Ourapteryx sambucaria) and Yellow-tailed (Euproctis similis); plus caterpillars of the Black hairstreak (Satyrium pruni) and Brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae) butterflies also feed on the Blackthorn foliage. These trees also feed birds as they feast on the sloes and any hiding insects throughout autumn and winter. Their dense canopy even make great places to nest amongst.
Blackthorn wood, once associated with wands of witches, is used for walking sticks and tool handles because it is hard wearing.
Traditional remedies using blackthorn bark, blossom and sloes were made to aid digestion and rhumatism as well as cleanse the blood. These days sloes are used to flavour gin as well as make wines and preserves.
The trees are under treat from blossom wilt due fungal diseases, as with other fruit trees. They can also get ‘pocket plum’ if infected by the Taphrina pruni fungus which produces galls and causes the sloes to remain small and shriveled.
While many things were eager to get going last week, not everything wanted to wake up. It was sweet to notice a few Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) still hiding away.
I can appreciate their wanting to cosy up for a while longer, it’s often how I feel when my alarm goes off.
… to look a lot like springtime, everywhere you go. 🎶
There are lots of early flowering plants blooming at the moment; spring is definitely in the air.
The Silver birch (Betula pendula) is from the Betulaceae family, just like Hazel (Corylus) and Alder (Alnus), which also have flowers in the form of catkins (see my previous two posts A Snowy Adventure and The Birds and the Trees).
At the moment only the immature male catkins are visible (as they have been since autumn) dangling at the end of tree shoots.
Female Catkins develop after the leaves unfurl in spring. They face upwards, are bright green and smaller than the male ones; flowering between April and May. Unlike the fertilized Alder catkins these do not become woody and remain on the tree for seeds to disperse from there. Instead seed dispersal occurs as the female catkins disintegrate and are carried away by the wind as they fall from the tree.
The paper like white bark of the Birch sheds to uncover newer, cleaner bark underneath; plus dark diamond shaped fissures develop as the tree ages.
Two birch trees are native to the UK, the other is the Downy birch (Betula pubescens). It is possible for these to hybridize with one another however individually they can be differentiated. The Downy birch has hairy, single-toothed leaves and hairy shoots (which is how it gets its name); plus the leaf base is rounder. The leaves of the Silver birch are more angular, double toothed around the edges and hairless (the shoots are also hairless). The Downy birch also prefers damper soil than the Silver birch but both are naturally found in woodlands.
The Silver and Downy Birches have open canopies allowing flowers such as violets (Viola), Primrose (Primula vulgaris), Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) to florish beneath them. Several fungi are linked with Birch trees too, such as Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), Woolly milk cap (Lactarius torminosus), Birch milk cap (Lactarius tabidus), Birch brittlegill (Russula betularum), Birch knight (Tricholoma fulvum) and the Birch polypore (Fomitopsis betulina).
These trees can support over 300 insect species. They are a good food source for the caterpillars of Angle-shades (Phlogophora meticulosa), Buff tip (Phalera bucephala), Pebble hook-tip (Drepana falcataria), and Kentish glory (Endromis versicolora) moths. Several Bird species make use of these trees including woodpeckers (Picidae), which nest in the trunks, along with Siskins (Spinus spinus), Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) and Redpolls (Acanthis) that feed on the seeds.
Uses for Birch trees include the manufacture of furniture, handles and toys as well as the process of tanning leather.
In times gone by it was used to make bobbins, spools and reels for the Lancashire cotton industry as well. To the Celts Birches symbolised purity, renewal and love. Later on brooms were made using birch twigs in order to clean rooms. In Finland they are the national tree.
There are several threats to Birch trees, two fungal pathogens (Marssonina betulae and Anisogramma virgultorum) which can cause Birch dieback and eventual death. Bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius) can also attack native trees.
More information on both can be found on the Forest research website, see the links Birch dieback and Bronze birch borer.
On the 31st January, I undertook the RSPBs Big Garden bird watch. Most birds, I’d normally see, were clearly hiding but I did notice some within the hour. Those birds I saw were; 1 Carrion crow (Corvus corone), 2 Robins (Erithacus rubecula), 1 Coal tit (Periparus ater), 1 Blackbird (Turdus merula) and 2 Mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus). I enjoy taking part in this citizen science project each year; it’s interesting to see how the results differ each time.
Due to the frozen ground last week, I was still able to go for my regular exercise in the local woodland park. Various tree species were waking up from their winter sleep. Beech (Fagus) and Oak (Quercus) had started budding while others were developing catkins.
As well as the Hazel (Corylus avellana) other trees had catkins hanging from them too. Hazel catkins are the earliest to flower in the year, from January to March (see my previous post A Snowy Adventure).
Then the Alder (Alnus glutinosa) is the next tree to bloom with both male and female catkins. The male catkins are longer than the female ones which flower from February to March. Also hanging from the Alder trees were some small dark brown shapes. These woody cone-like fruit develop from the previous seasons fertilised female catkins; these can remain on the tree (even when the seeds have been shed) well into the following year alongside the newly formed catkins. I also noticed leaf buds growing on the trees last week too. When the buds burst, I shall update the Woodland trust Nature’s calendar with my findings.
Unfortunately I was unable to capture decent photos on location so I collected part of a fallen branch to take home.
I find Alder trees fascinating and the rough, fissured bark beautiful.
Alder are native to Britain and found on wet land, next to water or in marshes and woodlands. They naturally thrive in moist conditions although can also grow in drier areas such as the edges of mixed woodland. Alder wood is durable when wet and actually becomes stronger rather than rot when submerged in water; a characteristic that makes them useful in flood mitigation, boat building, sluice gates, and even the construction of Venice which is mostly built on Alder piles. Alder wood is also used in the creation of charcoal, gunpowder and making clogs.
The pale wood turns a deep orange colour at the point at which it’s cut (while the rest of the wood remains pale); leading to a superstition, in Ireland, that it was bad luck to walk past an Alder tree on your travels. However, traditionally alder branches were also taken into houses to prevent Woodworm. Alder wood is particularly liked by various species of beetle larvae (collectively referred to as Woodworm). It is hoped that the beetles will lay eggs in the Alder rather than the furniture or fixtures; the branches once infested can then be removed.
There is also a traditional use for Alder flowers as a green dye; believed to be used as camouflage by outlaws like Robin hood and fairies.
For fun, I looked up Alder wands used in the Harry potter series. Only one is mentioned, that owned by Quirinus Quirrell. The wands qualities are described on the Wizarding world website.
The roots of Alder are nitrogen fixers. Nitrogen from the air is fixed into the soil, replenishing the levels and aiding soil fertility, through the bacterium Frankia alni.
As well as improving soil, Alder are great for wildlife too. The seeds are eaten by Redpoll (Acanthis flammea), Siskin (Spinus spinus) and Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis). The leaves are food for the caterpillars of the Alder kitten (Furcula bicuspis), Pebble hook-tip (Drepana falcataria), Autumn green carpet (Chloroclysta miata) and Blue-bordered carpet (Plemyria rubiginata) moths. Bees visit the catkins for an early source of nectar plus Alders provide habitats for the Checkered skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon) butterfly, Small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene) butterfly, some species of Crane fly, Otters (which create nests amongst the roots) along with mosses, lichens and fungi that like damp conditions.
However, these trees are also threatened through infection by the Phytophthora fungus (together with some other broadleaf tree species). In Alder this disease is referred to as Alder dieback and eventually causes the death of any infected tree. For more information see the Forest research website. There aren’t many Alders in my local woodland park compared to other tree species so it would be sad to see them disappear. Given my newly acquired knowledge I will keep a special lookout for any ill health in these trees; thankfully no infection is being exhibited at the moment.
The previous Sunday brought a little light relief as snow covered most of the UK. My childhood excitement of seeing the snow returned, so the days exercise was a walk through the local woodland park.
As I wondered past trees I began to notice odd glimpses of colour amongst the white and greys. Upon closer inspection I could see catkins already dangling along with female flowers ready to bloom on the Hazel (Corylus avellana) trees.
I also saw female flowers and cones on several Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).
Surprisingly, given it was still snowing at the time, lots of birds were about too. I saw Redwing (Turdus iliacus), Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), a small group of noisy Long tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) as well as a male Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) amongst the trees.
Redwings are migratory birds, from Iceland, Scandinavia and even Russia. Named after the red area under the wings, they can be seen in the UK between October and spring.
Throughout the week, as the snow slowly disappeared, I saw different birds visiting my Rowan (Sorbus) tree. I had never seen a Mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
or male Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) visit the tree before.
Perhaps the reduced availability of food, during the snowy weather, made them search further afield than usual. Thankfully they found the remaining, mostly dried, berries on the Rowan tree outside my window.
Mistle thrush, so named because of their love of eating mistletoe (and guarding trees where it grows) also visit Rowan and Holly (Ilex) trees for their berries as well as eat worms, slugs and insects. They are larger and duller in colour than Song thrush (Turdus philomelos). Their spots are darker and rounder plus they have white tips to their tails. In fact they are larger than Blackbirds (unlike Song thrushes).
Wonderfully, there were even more flowers blooming in the garden too. I saw
Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis),
Crocus and
lots of Cyclamen.
It was lovely to see some flowers beginning to show themselves last Tuesday.
Wildflowers I noticed as I walked were,
However I also saw flowers in gardens too. The cultivated plants that were also blooming were
The walk on Sunday 10th January was an adventure, having wondered down a previouly unwalked route.
One thing I noticed on the roadside as I walked, was some Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri) which must have fallen from a nearby tree.
It’s also called Stag lichen, a slightly more appropriate name given that it’s a lichen and looks like a collection of antlers. It isn’t exclusively found on Oaks trees (Quercus) either. Oakmoss can grow on other broadleaf tree species along with conifers. In fact when it grows on conifers it takes on a turpentine aroma rather than a mossy earthy one.
Traditionally Oakmoss is used in the perfume industry, for its earthy scent and fixative properties, as well as in soaps, hair products and pot pourri. Thankfully it is grown commercially for this purpose. A couple of examples in which Oakmoss is used are the perfume Channel No. 19 and Ralph Lauren’s ‘Polo’ aftershave.
Since that Sunday I’ve also had new visitors to the Rowan tree (Sorbus). Most days afterwards I saw five goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) eat the leftover dried out rowan berries. It was lovely to see the splash of colour these birds provide on gloomy days.
During a particularly difficult week, once again, nature has given me solace. I went on local walks for exercise as well as watch birds from my sofa, while they visited the Rowan tree (Sorbus) next to my flat. Several bird species visited even though it’s mostly stripped of berries now. I noticed bud development on the branches already too.
I have recently spent time catching up on some reading.
The first book I read was ‘Witch’s Garden’ by Sandra Lawrence.
This book contains botanical illustrations along with other pictures, including those of specimens from KEW. Folklore as well as natural medicinal properties of fifty well known plants are explored.
One of the plants written about is the Rowan tree. In the past it has been associated with fairies, the Norse God Thor, Goddesses Hebe and Brid as well as St Brigid.
Also known as the Witches tree, traditionally Rowans were believed to offer protection against evil. Other common names for them are Lady of the Mountain, Quicken tree, Wildwood, Whispering tree and probably the most well known Mountain ash. The latter name is due to its ability to thrive in high regions and a similarly in the leaves, however it isn’t actually an Ash (Fraxinus). In fact Rowans are part of the Rosaceae family alongside Apple trees (Malus) Roses (Rosa) and Hawthorn (Crataegus). Just as the haws of the Hawthorn and Rose hips contain vitamin C, Rowan berries are high in this vitamin too. Although all require cooking before they can be eaten they were traditionally used to treat scurvy, sore throats and other ailments, especially during the World War Two.
The second book I read was ‘Back to Nature’ by Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin.
Containing personal stories and factual explanations, this book looks at the importance of nature for humans along with what actions can be undertaken to protect it.
I grew up avidly watching the Really Wild Show and love Springwatch and Autumnwatch. Part of my enjoyment of this book was ‘hearing’ Chris’ voice as I read the parts he’d written. His descriptions contain both urgency and hopefulness. He speaks about various topics from the importance of nature as therapy to wildlife issues that exist at this time.
He also mentions how during lockdown verges sprung into life as wildflowers were allowed to bloom, something that was great for pollinators. Chris talks about the worrying loss by 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1930s, attributing to a decrease in insect numbers. Therefore reversing this by councils allowing verges to grow is great. Yet, having a small wildflower patch in gardens is another achievable action that we can all undertake that will have a big impact on helping wildlife thrive.
Both books are great reads, they are informative and enjoyable; I highly recommend them both.
As a gardener and wildlife lover following the seasons is important to me. I celebrate seasonal festivals throughout the year to acknowledge the importance of nature in my life.
During the winter solstice I take time out to observe the sunrise, reflect on the past twelve months as well as think about the year to come. I also go for a walk to collect greenery for my home and give presents to the local wildlife. This year I planted some Heather and Mahonia for any winter foraging bumblebees and made fat balls for my bird feeder.
I am glad that even in tier 4 I can still go for walks amongst nature and visit my allotment for exercise; for me these are essential for healthy body and mind.
Last week I checked on plant growth on my plot. I currently have seedlings and cuttings safe in a small greenhouse; all remain healthy and continue to grow. I also noticed buds on my fruit trees along with borage still growing in the beds.
On monday I also witnessed a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) hover above a road (More information on Kestrels can be found at the RSPB). I don’t get to see these amazingly beautiful birds often enough. It was a magical sight on the longest day of the year which began with me watching the sunrise at Stonehenge (online) while at home and listening to bird song; plenty of positivity on a gloomy day.
Bee in the Moment 
