Spring wildlife

With spring in the air, the frosty mornings and the warmer sunnier days, we love to see the seasonal changes at Roadford Lake and the wildlife it brings. If you are out for a stroll look out for the lizards basking in the sun, or listen to the birds singing to each other. And with a little effort we can welcome the wonderful wildlife into our gardens.

Springtime means nesting season for our little bird friends, and all the building takes time and energy from the birds. We can assist them by leaving out natural fibres and plant materials. After all, the less effort they use collecting materials the quicker they can lay their eggs. In a hanging basket you can place straw, grasses, fresh cut grass, and leaves from pruning to help the birds. And of course, if you have a bird feeder, don’t forget to fill them up, with limited supplies of berries at this time of year, the birds and squirrels alike are always grateful of a belly full of bird feed. Visit our guide to making your own simple bird feeder Bird feeder guide

Here is RSPB’s guide to the birds of March- RSPB Nature’s calendar March

You will start to see the appearance of worker bees, this is a busy time of the year for them finding food for their colony as soon as the first source of pollen emerges. So leave the weeds alone as this is a great source of first feed for the bees! In addition to nectar gathering and pollination, bees also collect water to help regulate the temperature of the hive and liquefy thick or granulated honey from the winter.

A welcome sign of spring is the butterflies dancing around the garden. Here is a wonderful guide courtesy of discover wildlife about the varieties you will be able to find late March, early April. Spring butterflies