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Early signs of spring showing Recently in the twilight before dawn, we've been overhearing a collection of chirps, cheeps and tentative whistles, signs that the birds are beginning to tune up for the spring chorus, which will reach its crescendo in April and May. Yes, despite the storms
and frosts of the last few weeks, the season is on the turn. February
is a great month for firsts - and we see that the BBC, in collaboration
with the Woodland Trust, is launching a survey nationwide, inviting
the public to send in first sightings of bumblebees, frogspawn and
ladybirds via their website (bbc.co.uk/springwatch). In Wharfedale, frogspawn is usually first seen at the end of February or the beginning of March in garden ponds, pools or ditches and, sometimes, even in the puddles on rutted tracks - rather a risky option, you would think. However, anytime now you may well come across frogs as they emerge from hibernation and make their way to local waters. . It's fascinating to build up your own records of such things. We especially enjoy looking out for the first celandines, often flowering early in sheltered spots beside lanes or tracks, and the first peacock butterfly is always a thrill. Our personal triumph was spotting one in the garden on February 14, 2002 - a very early date but February was particularly sunny that year. The WNS has been recording this kind of information for 60 years and publishing interesting sightings in our annual review, building up quite a data bank for Wharfedale. But now the whole process of early and late records has become a matter of grave international importance and we are part of a national network which collects and collates such data. Examples of the earlier flowering of native plants, emergence of hibernating mammals or insects and arrival of migrant birds are vital indicators of climate change. [Back] |