NATURE'S CALENDER The wild animals and plants of the natural world live their lives according to the annual cycle of the changing seasons. Nature's Calendar provides some of the highlights you can enjoy during the unfolding natural calendar in Glenshelane. The months in which these highlights appear are only approximate and will vary between habitats, between locations in the north and south of the country and between one year and the next. January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow… Wildlife In wetlands, coasts and estuaries you will find huge flocks of wildfowl that are over- wintering in England and feeding on tiny worms and shellfish, especially at low tide. Starlings create a particularly dramatic – and noisy – display as they flock in vast numbers that appear to be in perfect synchrony. As well as geese, ducks and swans you can see species such as redshanks, redwings, black-tailed godwits and fieldfares. Waxwings can be seen foraging for berries from wild hedgerow to urban gardens. Song thrushes, blackbirds, skylarks and great tits may sing on sunny days while some birds, such as robins, wrens, rooks and hedge sparrows, are starting to form pairs. In mild years, newts can be caught heading for their breeding sites while frogspawn can be found in ponds and the occasional butterfly such as the small tortoiseshell may emerge prematurely. Plantlife Plants continue to remain dormant and flowers are rare. However, hazel catkins, snowdrops and heliotropes usually make their appearance and you may find dandelions, groundsel and chickweed, too. January Factfile Large flocks of wading birds overwinter in wetlands and coastal estuaries, blue tits start to sing their spring song ... February brings the rain, thaws the frozen pond again… Wildlife Geese and ducks continue to feed in wetlands and estuaries, while waxwings and other species forage for berries. You can watch herons busy themselves with mating rituals in the treetops and blue tits looking for places to nest. The fortunate few may witness the courtship of the great crested grebe or may hear – or even see – a great spotted woodpecker drilling into the trunk of a tree. Early honeybees emerge to gather nectar and pollen and frogspawn is a common sight in ponds throughout the country. Plantlife Snowdrops, hazel catkins and pussy willows appear in profusion, while crocuses and the yellow flowers of winter aconite may appear. Woodlands and hedgerows are rife with lords and ladies, dog’s mercury and early violets, while the leaves of bulbs such as bluebells and wild garlic push through the earth. February factfile The curlews are back on the upland bogs, toads are returning to to the pond they developed from spawn and the black grouse are shaking their tail feathers ...   A good walk in Spring does wonders to shake off the winter blues. Wild and exposed areas may be still cold and muddy, so why not try out bridleways, towpaths and established footpaths?. March brings the wind so cold and chill … Wildlife Look out for animals emerging from their hibernation, slightly dazed but drawn by the prospect of their first proper meal for what must seem like months. The first insects hatch, some butterflies take to the air, honeybees venture from their hive, a queen bumblebee scours the undergrowth for a nesting place. Watch out for soaring birds of prey, boxing hares, mating ducks, the arrival of the willow warbler and mute swans starting to build their nests. Listen out for the skylark’s song, the squabbling coots or even an early cuckoo. Plantlife Everything’s starting to wake up – hawthorn leaves unfurl, daffodils nodding in the breeze, white flowers appearing on bare blackthorn twigs, catkins hang from branches in woods, spinneys and hedgerows, while celandines, wood anemones and primroses are highlighted in the sunshine. Vernal Equinox is on 21st March 2007. On this day the length of day and night are the same. Mothering Sunday is on 18th March 2007. It is held on the fourth Sunday in Lent. British summertime begins on 25th March 2007. April brings us sun and showers… Wildlife Bird song fills the air across the country – from the dawn chorus to courtship and territorial displays. Watch the swallows, nightingales, warblers and cuckoos arrive while redwings and fieldfares leave. Butterflies and bees forage for food, frogspawn hatch into tadpoles and baby badgers may appear above ground for the first time. Plantlife Abundant new leaves on trees and shrubs while wild fruit trees fill with blossom, ash trees flower and yellow gorse blooms on heathland. Marsh marigold flower beside ponds and streams, primroses cluster on sunlit hedgerows, bluebells carpet the woodland floor and cowslips and orchids feature in meadows and downland. April Factfile Swallows, nightingales and cuckoos are arriving for the summer, bluebells will be carpeting the woodland floor ...   May brings grass and leafy trees… Wildlife From mountain, moorland, heath and coast to woodland, riverbank, valley and park, May is a perfect month for watching wildlife as every species seems intent on feeding, nesting, mating, breeding or raising their young. Swifts and martins join the other migrants to our shores. Insects are incredibly abundant, from cockchafer beetles and dragonflies to aphids and mayflies, and provide an important source of food. Plantlife The white blossom of hawthorn, or may, are predominant features across much of the country, while the white flowers of elder, cow parsley and meadowsweet adorn the hedgerows and roadsides. Bluebells, cowslips and fritillaries are also distinctive highlights of the month of May. All kinds of shrub and tree, such as beech, oak and finally ash, break into leaf, while a diversity of grasses and wildflowers enrich England’s meadows, fields and pastures. In damp corners you may come across a sundew catching a fly in its trap or red poppies in an untilled patch of agricultural land. May Factfile Bats are out of hibernation now looking for mating ground to have their young, bracken is pushing up on hillsides. Check out spring in it's full multicolour splendour.   Summer is a great time to be more adventurous and explore England’s natural diversity in various habitats, from downland, coast and riverbank to moorland, forest or wetland.   June brings roses fresh and fair… Wildlife From coast to mountain, birds are busy breeding and feeding their broods. Butterflies and a host of other insects are searching for pollen and nectar. Rivers, streams and ponds are alive with damselflies and dragonflies. In the warm midsummer nights look out for badgers, moths and bats. Rarely, you may hear the cry of a nightjar as it captures moths and other nocturnal insects in its heathland home or see a red kite wheeling and gliding on a thermal as it looks for prey below. Plantlife June is an excellent time for walkers to appreciate England’s wealth of wildflowers. Foxgloves are a distinctive feature of the countryside while dog roses, brambles and honeysuckles flower in the hedgerows. Orchids appear in chalk downlands and limestone soils while myriad vetches and daisies grow in profusion in pasture and meadow. Clifftops are adorned with sea pinks and sea campions, while woodland flowers are starting to produce seeds. July brings the greatest heat… Wildlife Bird chicks are learning to fly, while bumble bees and butterflies such as red admiral and peacock are attracted to fragrant buddleias and many hedgerow flowers. Swarms of insects provide food for swallows, swifts and martins. You can see flocks of goldfinches in the countryside, often chattering to one another in the trees, while cuckoos are the first birds to migrate south for the winter. Plantlife Ripening crops such as barley and wheat dominate the landscape while grasses, nettles, burdock, traveller’s joy and cleavers are just some of the many plants that fill the hedgerows, pathways, verges and roadsides. Red displays of willow herb feature in disturbed ground while on poppies, campions and a variety weeds, such as corncockle, thrive on land unaffected by agriculture. August brings the golden grain… Wildlife Swallows gather on telephone cables and sand martins muster in flocks as they prepare to journey south. After breeding in the northern wetlands, waders return home to river estuaries or continue their migration. Visit the tidal rock pools and look for crabs, sea anemones, shellfish and stranded jellyfish. You can see grey squirrels chase each other through the branches, hear grasshoppers fidget in the grass and watch bats feed on insects over water during the night. Plantlife Purple heather flowers cover moorlands and heaths, attracting thousands of bees. If you are walking through spongy lawns of bog moss in upland or lowland bogs look out for insect-eating sundews and avoid treading on them as they take a long time to recover. Grasses turn brown and some trees may shed their seeds or start the process of changing colour. The fruits of the hedgerow, such as hips, haws, sloes, blackberries and elderberries, start to ripen while the caterpillars of the cinnabar moth feed on ragworts, which are poisonous to horses and livestock.   As the days grow shorter in the autumn, it’s hard to resist getting out to enjoy the changing landscapes   Mid September brings us more... Wildlife September is a good time to watch birds returning to estuaries, wetlands, gardens and parks after migrating from the north and growing their winter plumage. Other species have fattened themselves before embarking on the long journey to Africa. On sunny days, look also for the dragonflies in wetland areas and bees and wasps feeding on late-flowering ivy. Preparations for winter begin yet do not fully finish until November. Larger animals feast on the autumn harvest and create stores of food, such as nuts, to tide them over until spring. Plantlife Hedgerows are full of berries, hips and haws while other fruits and fungi appear in abundance in woodlands, pastures and grasslands. Conkers fall from horse chestnuts, acorns from oaks, winged seeds from sycamore, ash and maple. Along many riverbanks you can smell the flowers of the Himalayan balsam, which disperses its seed from exploding pods. Many flowers fade, the leaves on deciduous trees change colour and fall to the ground and fungi, such as stinkhorns, puffballs and field mushrooms appear above ground. Brown October brings the last… Wildlife In the deer rutting season stags compete for hinds by fighting each other with their antlers. Redwing and fieldfares return from the north and many of our summer visitors head off south to Africa. Toads hibernate under rocks and stones while frogs go to the bottom of a pond or a protected place. Insect populations begin to decline, remaining as caterpillars and pupae during the cold months. Plantlife Mushrooms and toadstools, such as fly agaric and shaggy inkcap, appear in coniferous and deciduous woodlands. Look out for fairy rings formed by toadstools in grassland and the beefsteak fungus on oak and chestnut trees. Trees such as beech, oak maple, horse chestnut and ash reveal their autumn colours – quite suddenly if there’s a sharp frost. Old man’s beard spreads like a blanket over hedgerows where fruits and berries continue to provide food for birds such as redwings and fieldfares that winter in England. Dull November brings the blast… Wildlife Mixed flocks of finches, such as chaffinches, greenfinches and goldfinches, scour the countryside for food – you may see a blackcap or chiffchaff, too. Starlings start their roosting while lakes and estuaries are home to Arctic species of wader and wildfowl, such as teal and wigeon, as well as whooper and Bewick’s swans. Bonfires attract hedgehogs looking for a place to hibernate while bats go into a state or torpor and badgers bed down for the winter. Atlantic salmon return to their spawning grounds to breed and grey seals give birth to their pups. Plantlife Ivy comes into flower and provides a late source of food for insects. You may find a bracket fungus strong to take your weight. Oak trees display their colour while beeches may hold on to their copper leaves and larches their yellow needles. In amongst the fluffy old man’s beard that covers the hedgerows you may be able to see the poisonous red berries of bryony. November Factfile The last leaves are clinging to the branches...robins are left singing in the gardens...   In the depths of winter, wrap up well and head for the hills and valleys to discover how the natural world survives when food and warmth are scarce. Cold December ends the rhyme, with blazing fires and Christmas time... Wildlife At night, foxes call out with eerie screams and yelps as they start to form pairs. In wetlands, you may spot a Bewick’s swan or catch a glimpse of a kingfisher as it moves down river to an estuary. Look out, too, for the pink crests of waxwings that feed on berries such as yew and holly after severe winter weather in Europe brings them to our shores. If the weather is mild bats may briefly emerge from their winter sleep to take a meal. Plantlife Holly berries are reminders of the festive season to come, as are mistletoes, which are semi-parasitic and grow in a distinctive bunch in fruit trees and in the bare branches of trees such as lime, beech and oak. Its white sticky berries are a favourite of the mistle thrush. Where the soil is chalky, you may see the bright orange fruits of the spindle tree – they are poisonous to us but not to birds. December Factfile Holly berries in abundance could spell a harsh winter ... is it the male or female tree that bears the berry ...