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Welcome to the spring edition of our seasonal biodiversity newsletter! In this edition: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
What to look out for in spring Peregrine watch is back! The importance of pollinators Butterflies as pollinators Help spot the Brown-banded Carder Bee in Warwickshire Protecting endangered birds at St Mary’s Lands Leamington’s living labyrinth: a pollinator-friendly community garden Warwickshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy – update Creating healthy water habitats for wildlife Spring bulbs begin to bloom, supporting early pollinators Nature Patchwork National hedgehog monitoring programme – update Ways you can help nature at home Farewell to Jon Holmes
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN SPRING The nesting season for birds is underway. Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long-tailed Tits will be rearing young and Robins, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds will start fledging. Please do check any hedges or shrubs for nests before cutting them as it is an offence to disturb nesting birds! It’s breeding time in the water too. Frogs will be laying their spawn, which then hatches into tadpoles within two to four weeks. Bats and hedgehogs will be emerging from hibernation, with nighttime activity increasing throughout the season. On sunny days, early butterflies like the Brimstone, Peacock, and Small Tortoiseshell may be spotted fluttering about. In our woodlands, you’ll find bluebells carpeting the floor. Oakley Wood and Crackley Woods have particularly impressive displays throughout spring. Meanwhile, fruit trees will also start to blossom. Keep an eye out for Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in hedgerows, with its sharp thorns, black-purple twigs, and white flowers from March to April. This plant is not only beautiful but also supports butterflies and moths, and its sloes provide food for birds and mammals in the autumn.