Wild and Green Escapes

Wildlife & Nature in January
At this time of year look out for:
Birds
The wildlife watching scene at this time of year is dominated by birdlife, this month look out for:

• Wading birds – head to UK estuaries to spot birds and ducks  including Brent geese, oystercatchers and dunlin
• Coast – there’s still plenty of birds around including razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars and cormorants
• Wetlands – spot Bewick & Whooper Swans
• Moors – spot birds of prey
• Woodlands – woodpeckers are becoming territorial from now through to April, listen out for their distinctive pecking sounds

Wild & Green’s top coastal birdwatching spots during the winter include:

• Northumberland coast & Holy Island
• Norfolk Coast
• Scottish Islands – especially Islay
• Solway Firth, Dumfries & Galloway
• Loch of Strathbeg, near Aberdeen

Starling Roosts:
Starling roosts – also called murmurations - are amazing things to watch as the birds arrive at their overnight roosting spot . The sizes of the roosts vary but there are often thousands upon thousands of birds flocking together creating truly amazing shapes in the sky as they move back and forth.
Starling roosts can be seen all over the country but Wild & Green’s top spots to see these roost spectaculars are:

• Brighton Pier, Sussex
• Gretna Green, Dumfries & Galloway
• Leighton Moss, Lancashire
• Snape, Suffolk
• Aberystwyth Pier, Ceredigion
• West Hay Moor, Somerset Levels

Or you can watch short starling roost videos online at:

• the RSPB website
• the BBC’s Nature UK website

Flora
A bit thin on the ground this month but look out for:

• Snowdrops
• Crocus
• Winter heliotrope
  

Snow
If there’s any snow around this month then use it to identify tracks left in the snow by animals – watch Simon King explaining how to recognise various tracks on the BBC’s Snow Watch website

Wildlife & Nature In February
At this time of year look out for:
Birds

• Wading birds – head to UK estuaries to spot birds and ducks  including Brent geese, oystercatchers and dunlin
• Coast – there’s still plenty of birds around including razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars and cormorants
• Wetlands – spot Bewick & Whooper Swans
• Moors – spot birds of prey
• Listen out for woodpeckers in woodlands

Mammals

• Badgers – start of the mating season
• Squirrels- start of their mating season

Wild & Green’s top wildlife watching spots this month include:

• Farne Island, Northumbria – thousands of wintering birds to spot
• Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour – a sanctuary for red squirrels
• Slimbridge Wildlfowl & Wetland Trust, Gloucestershire – see Bewick Swans, barnacle and pink footed geese

Flora

• Catkins
• Golden early celandines
• Sweet violet
• Coltsfoot

Wildlife Watching In March

Brown Hare - March is said to be the best and easiest time to see hares, before the greenery of the spring growth starts to hide them from view. Hares can be found all over the country - though they are not as common as they used to be, largely thanks to loss of suitable habitats - with reported 'hotspots' being around Wiltshire, Hampshire and East Anglia. Hares breed throughout the spring and summer but are particularly associated with this month - remember 'mad march hares' - and March is a good time to try to see them 'boxing' which is part of their 'courtship and fending off'.

Birds In March

There's plenty of arrival from overseas to look forward to, plus plenty of setting up of territories too...
With lengthening days and the promise of spring in the air you'll probably notice more birdsong when you're out and about in the garden or woods. This is a great opportunity to learn and recognise the songs of the various birds as there are fewer birds singing to start with and you can pinpoint the sounds more easily - blackbirds, robins and thrushes are probably the most familiar ones to start with. There are many books and CDs you can buy or borrow from a library to help you learn all the different tunes and then match them up with their singers.
Wheatear- arrive in the South West first, along southern coast by late March, then set up territories in our uplands before starting courtship.
Lapwings - setting up territories this month and the males will be performing their amazing 'noisy tumbling flight' looking as though they are going to go crashing to the ground, recovering just at the last moment, quite heart-stopping to see!
Birds of prey - common buzzards and sparrowhawks are good ones to look out for doing their swooping displays and dives as, again, they look to set up territories.

Flora In March
Snowdrops - you might still catch snowdrops in some parts of the Uk this month, especially in the more northern areas.
Primroses - pretty wild primroses, golden in colour, look for them in hedgerows.
Daffodils - a real springtime favourite, their bright yellow colouring brightening up the countryside.
Wood Anemones - a delicate white and pale yellow flower found on the floors of open areas in woodland. A clear indicator of ancient woodlands, they have a weak but sweet perfume.
Lesser Celandines - another pretty yellow flowering ground cover found in woodlands in spring.

Wildlife Watching In April

This month look out for:
Badgers - out and about more now that spring has truly sprung; you might see some cubs emerging from the sett too. Badgers can be found pretty much anywhere that there's some woodland on a hill, even close to the edge of towns.

Birds In April
Dawn chorus - this is the time of year that birds are at their most vocal as it is, of course, the breeding season. If you fancy an early start (usually between 4am and 5am) then there are events all over the country where you can join a guided walk and learn to identify the various types of birdsong.
Cuckoo - the 'traditional harbinger of spring' - its distinctive call can be heard all around the country this month.
Ospreys- these birds arrive back to the UK in March/April and by the end of April the female will usually have eggs in the nest, the chicks putting in an appearance in May.
Black Grouse - see its impressive 'lekking' mating display this month in parts of Wales & Scotland.
Arrivals - plenty of birds are now arriving back to the UK's shores including swallows swooping and diving in the sky, as well as swifts and warblers

Flora In April
Spring is a great time for spotting wild flowers including:
Bluebells - the masses of beautiful blue flowers carpet woodland floors this month, usually peaking towards the end of April.
Cowslips - a pretty yellow 'upright' flower, often found in meadows.
Snakeshead fritillary - a rarer sight than most wild flowers as there are reportedly only around 30 'significant colonies' of these pretty flowers in the UK.

Wildlife Watching in May

This month look out for:
Hedgehogs - in courtship mode.
Foxes - look out for playful cubs this month.
Badgers - plenty going on at the sett this month with badger cubs about.
Roe deer - the babies are born this month.

Birds in May
Swifts
Seabirds - colonies of seabirds, especially gulls, guillemots, gannets and kittiwakes, are very active at the moment in the breeding season. Seabird colonies are buzzing with birds between now and August. Most of these colonies are situated in the north of the country.
Puffins - now breeding on various islands including Farne Islands, Northumbria.
Wading birds - avocets, lapwings, terns.

Flora in May
Hawthorn - hedges full of heavy white/ cream blossoms are a great sight at this time of year.
Violets - spot some of the 13 varieties of these flowers with their purple petals in bloom this month.
Early purple orchid - tall, 'spiky' flower heads pinky mauve in color, can be seen in meadows or by roadsides this month.
Horse chestnuts are in bloom now with their delicate pink and white flowers.
Common gorse - bright yellow flowers on spiky greenery with a 'coconut' type smell.
Cow parsley - around hedges and at the sides of country roads you'll see clouds of these small white flowers on top of tall thin green stems.
Giant Hogweed - tall, more substantial plants, with large 'canopies' of white flowers.

 

Wildlife In June
This month look out for:

Roe deer are born this month
Common seals are giving birth this month
Fox cubs are out and about
Birds In June
Sea bird colonies - great time to visit with lots going on
Birds and baby birds are about everywhere!
Bittern - probably the best time to try to spot these birds as they are out and about, busy gathering food for their chicks

Flora In June

Moorland heather is in bloom from now until August
Elderflowers
Foxgloves
Ragged Robin
Poppies
Wild Cornflowers
Orchids

Wildlife In July
This month look out for:

• Bats
• Whales and dolphins, especially off the west coast
• Butterflies & dragonflies
• Snakes basking in the sun

Birds In July

• Sea bird colonies - great time to visit, there's still plenty going on
• It's quieter this month as there's a noticeable reduction in bird song with breeding season and summer having passed their peak…
• Birds of prey and their young especially common buzzards, kestrels and sparrowhawks
• Young tawny owls
• Yellowhammers & stonechat
• At the coast - choughs
• Moving south this month - lapwings

Flora In July

• Heather in bloom until August
• Gorse is flowering at its peak this month
• Yellow rattle
• Round- headed rampion
• At the coast - sea holly, sea campion, sea kale
• Elderflowers
• Foxgloves
• Poppies
• Wild orchids

Wildlife In August
This month look out for:

• Grey & common seals basking in the sun on sandbanks - look out for common seal pups this month too!
• Whales, dolphins & porpoise
• Butterflies, dragonflies & damselflies

Birds In August

• Sea bird colonies - great time to visit, there's still plenty going on
• Ospreys

Flora In August

• Heather in bloom
• At the coast - sea holly, sea campion, sea lavender, thrift
• Acorns appearing on oak trees
• Wild thyme
• Thistles
• Common butterwort
• Berries - blackberries, rowan berries, elderberries

Countryside in Autumn
Wildlife in September / October
At this time of year look out for:

• Deer - it's the start of the autumn rut, so listen out for roaring deer and watch the rut unfold at various locations around the UK including Richmond Park, Surrey; Thetford Forest, Norfolk/Suffolk border; many places in Scotland including Galloway Forest Park and the islands of Rum and Mull off the west coast.
• Mammals - stoats, weasels
• Badgers - look out for organised badger watch events throughout the country, some top spots include the Forestry Commission's Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire and Slad Valley in Gloucestershire.
• Beavers - try to spot these amazing creatures at Knapdale Forest, Argyll in Scotland. You might be lucky and also spot wildcats and pine martens at Knapdale.

Birds in September
There's lots of outgoing and incoming bird activity this month, visit a headland or peninsular to just sit and watch the birds in the midst of migration:

• Some birds are heading off for warmer climes with their latest youngsters in tow - think swallows, house martins
• Other birds are arriving from places like Iceland and Scandinavia to spend the winter in the UK in, what is to them, less harsh conditions
• Birds are also using the UK as a stopping off place to take a break and refuel whilst en route to the Mediterranean and Africa

Great places to try a bit of bird watching now include:

• Holyhead, South Stack Cliffs, Anglesey, North Wales
• Scilly Isles, off Cornwall
• Portland, Dorset
• Beachy Head, Sussex
• North Norfolk coast
• Spurn Head, Humberside
• Caerlaverock, Dumfries & Galloway, SW Scotland - especially the Barnacle Geese & Wild Whooper Swans from October

Flora & Hedgerows

• Berries - rowan berries, elderberries, sloes, rosehips, plus the last of the blackberries

Autumn Colours
Look out for autumn colour on the trees - this annual spectacle is expected to be early this year due to the dry, warm spring. Keep tabs on autumn colour via these websites:

• Forestry Commission Autumn Colour website
• Perthshire in Scotland - one of the best places to see autumn colours in the UK
• Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire - another top spot to catch the autumn colours

Wildlife & Nature in November & December
Birds

• Lots of birds arriving in UK to overwinter including brent geese, avocets, fieldfare, redwings 
• Starling roosts – throughout autumn and winter, see details in our February Nature Watch entry for more details.

Great time for seeing estuary birds & winter wildfowl, top spots to see birds such as knot and dunlin include:

• Loch of Strathbeg near Aberdeen
• Loch Leven, Perthshire
• Slimbridge, Gloucestershire
• Martin Mere, Lancashire

Fish
Salmon are spawning now, top spots to see the amazing phenomenon of leaping salmon include:

• Philiphaugh Salmon Viewing Centre, near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders
• Several spots in Perthshire – see the Perthshire website for exact details.
• Cenarth Falls, Ceredigion

Mammals
*Spot grey seal pups in November, top spots include:

• Farne Islands, Northumberland
• Firth of Forth near Edinburgh
• Strangford Loch, Northern Ireland
• Blakeney Point, Norfolk

*Deer rut – it’s the end of the deer rut but you might still catch this wildlife spectacle at:

• Richmond Park, Surrey
• Scottish islands of Mull and Rum
• Galloway Forest Park, Dumfries & Galloway

*Mountain hares - In Scotland and Derbyshire’s Peak District now is the time of year when mountain hares turn from brown to white so that they have better camouflage for the winter snows – unfortunately the snow might not have arrived yet, making them very inconspicuous until it does!

*Red foxes may well more noticeable in December as it is the start of the mating season which lasts into January.  You may well hear the foxes characteristic barking too and also, if you have a pet who enjoys rolling in fox poo & urine then be warned as it is, apparently, extra smelly around now! Fox cubs will be born approximately 50 days after mating has taken place.