SUNNY days have been rare this February, with some parts of the country experiencing eleven consecutive days without sunshine. Yet signs of spring are appearing for those who take the time to notice. To lift your spirits and embrace the promise of brighter, warmer days ahead, here are some things to watch for in nature over the coming weeks.
Wonderful hazel
Across West Cork, hazel trees are putting on a beautiful display, their pale yellow catkins swaying gracefully in the breeze. Although hazel cannot self-pollinate, it is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers grow on the same tree. The long, pendulous catkins are the male flowers, releasing pollen to fertilise the much smaller female flowers.
Look closely at a hazel tree with open catkins, and you may spot the tiny, vibrant red-pink female flowers. Both the male catkins and female flowers emerge before the leaves, allowing the wind to transfer pollen more efficiently between trees for cross-pollination.
Lesser celandines are a wonderful spring flower to keep an eye out for. (Photo Ann Haigh)
Yellow joy
Lesser celandines are a quintessential spring flower and among the earliest to bloom. While taking part in the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s New Year Plant Hunt, I found them flowering on The Marsh in Skibbereen.
Our native lesser celandine, known as grán arcáin in Irish, has glossy, heart-shaped dark green leaves and bright yellow, star-shaped flowers. It is now well into its flowering period, so keep an eye out for it in woods, by rivers, along hedgerows, in ditches, and beside roads.
Although not part of the rose family, the primrose, sabhaircín in Irish, derives its name from the Latin Prima rosa, meaning ‘first rose’. This is a fitting description for this early-blooming, delicate, and sweetly scented flower.
Catskins hanging from a branch.
Life in the gorse
Two weeks ago, during an unusually sunny lunch break, I took a stroll down a country lane and looked into a gorse bush. Even though it was only mid-February, I was rewarded with a wonderful sight.
Seven-spot ladybirds and gorse shieldbugs, drawn out by the brief warmth, were active. Both species overwinter as adults, taking shelter under bark, inside hollow stems, buried in leaf litter, among roots, or even inside empty seed pods.
On warmer days in late winter and early spring, ladybirds and shieldbugs emerge in search of food. Ladybirds, which are carnivorous beetles with chewing mouthparts, are gardeners’ allies as they primarily feed on aphids. Gorse shieldbugs, like most shieldbugs and other true bugs, have piercing and sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of plants such as gorse, broom, and related
species.
Starting to buzz
Last year, I spotted my first bumblebee of the year on the tenth of February. I have not seen any yet this year, but I hope to soon. Each year, only queen bumblebees survive from their nests, while the males and workers die off. Queens, which are larger than other bees of the same species, overwinter in hidden places such as loose soil, banks of earth, and occasionally even flowerpots. They mate in late summer, overwinter, and emerge in spring in search of nectar to fuel them as they begin laying eggs and establishing a new nest. Any bumblebees seen in early spring are likely to be queens.
A delightful little blue tit exploring the garden nest box, birds are now investigating suitable nesting places. (Photo Ann Haigh)
Bird behaviour
At this time of year, bird behaviour begins to change as they prepare to find mates and build nests. I plan to write more about this as the year progresses, but I am already seeing activity in our solar-powered, remotely activated nest box camera.
A blue tit has been investigating and is now roosting in the box every night. We are hopeful this means they are staking a claim for nesting later in the season. If you have nest boxes to put up, now is the time to do so. If yours are still up from last year, inspect and clean them, as birds are already searching for potential nesting sites.
It is also worth watching the skies, as this is the time of year when common buzzard pairs begin their courtship displays. Paired for life, they perform spectacular aerial displays, sometimes called ‘the rollercoaster’. Often mistaken for rivals fighting, the male soars high before tumbling down in an effort to impress the female. Listen out for their distinctive, shrieking, cat-like calls as this is often the first sign of their presence.
Although it can feel as though the rain, winter, and dark evenings are endless, there are hopeful signs of the changing seasons if you take the time to look.
