Blackbirds

A Year in the Life of a Woodland – Part 2

/ Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

Throughout 2024, I followed in person a year in the life of an ancient, broadleaved woodland in the heart of rural Dorset. I followed its progress from certain points within its bounds, and observed the beauty the woodland had to offer throughout the seasons. It was really interesting to see what goes on during each month of the year within a classic english country woodland, and to be able see the subtle differences as time went on.

Previously on my blog, I left the woodland at the end of June after six months of colourful adventures. I watched as winter transformed into a vibrant spring and moved towards the summer months. From majestic skeletal trees and the unrolling of green to carpets of blue and flashes of beautiful butterflies, the woodland showed itself to be a master of changing its finery in dramatic style. To read more, check out Part 1 on my blog!

This time I delve into the second half of 2024 amongst the trees, as summer brings tranquil days, autumn comes with a riot of colour, and the woodland slips back into its winter slumber. How will these months differ to those of the first half of the year and what can we learn as the days regress once again. Here’s part 2 of my A Year in the Life of a Woodland.

July

Summer has arrived! Stepping into the woodland, humid warmth is replaced by a refreshing cool within the shade of the tall trees. All around the undergrowth is starting to die back, with flower heads dropping their spent petals and seeds beginning to be produced. Herb robert survives on though, with nodding heads of still bright pink flowers, whilst honeysuckle hangs from the trees, giving off their heady scent, and enchanter’s nightshade and bramble flowers start to appear. Amongst all this, ferns now stand tall along open tracks and wooodland glades, lush green and stealing the summer sunlight from any plants tucked below.

Birds of the woodland are now concentrating on feeding their young or are even coming to the end of this year’s breeding season. Distant chiffchaffs and wrens sing on though, alongside woodpigeons calling, and tits communicating up in the trees. Buzzing flies can also be heard on warmer days, whilst dragonflies dance along woodland borders on silent wings. A fox slinks by through the shadows of the trees, on silent paws, at ease, only turning its head as it walks by. With the woodland now full of new life, the excitement and activity of spring is ebbing away, and we welcome the days of the more relaxed summer season.

August

The woods are returning to their quieter state once again. The days are beginning to shorten in small increments, and the first whisperings of autumn can be felt. The start of August has been interesting with the woods seeing hot days broken up with spells of grey and heavy showers. As evening sun breaks through the still lush, but battered canopy, it’s noticeable that the woodland floor is picking up pace receding now. The hint of colour from flowers is completely disappearing, whilst the green undergrowth is beginning to show the brown leaf litter layer below.

Silence blankets the woodland, broken by wind up in the tree canopy, distant bird contact calls, and noise beyond the woodland altogether. The joyful bird song of spring has long served it’s purpose, and now the time has come when summer visitors are beginning to think of moving on to warmer climes, as the first signs of autumn have arrived. Plants hang with fat seed heads, hazel trees are laden with nuts that are already being pilfered, grey squirrels can be heard alarm calling up in the trees, and jays are popping up with their rough screaming calls. It’s a time of bounty and fruitfulness, a time to celebrate what nature has given us this year, and a time to prepare for the slumber to come.

September

The first breath of chilly air has arrived and rarer dry days have an edge to them. Another change in the year is coming, as the woodland floor dies back, leaving increasing patches of last year’s leaf litter open to the air once again. In places grass is crowding out other species on woodland rides, whilst ferns begin to turn brown, like fire catching their leaves’ edges. The first holly berries are beginning to redden, hazel trees are bedecked in green nuts, ripe blackberries are already beginning to soften, and oaks are growing their iconic nuts complete with their classic cups.

The mornings are now renewed with a gentle soundtrack of calling birds in the woodland, with residents claiming territories and migrants passing through on their way. Nuthatches, wrens, goldcrests and robins are amongst this cohort, creating a bubble of bird song. The afternoons are quieter, filled with lazily buzzing insects, and the odd animal sound. This afternoon though, the woodland soundscape is broken up with the sound of a great-spotted woodpecker moving from tree to tree and tapping to find food beneath bark. 

October

Nights are drawing in, temperatures are beginning to cool, and the dampness in the air is creeping in. Trees, such as oak, hazel and ash, are beginning to show changes to the colour of their leaves, adding yellows, reds, and oranges to their palette. As the trees signal the start of changing out of their finery, the ferns covering the woodland floor below are now fully on fire, curling up and browning away. As this dying off progresses, new life is symbolised through nuts, seeds and berries, such as the first ripe holly berries, shiny and red, waiting to be eaten. To buck the trend, ivy tendrils are sprouting clusters of green balls, their late flowers that will reach their peak in November.

Most of the summer avian residents will have begun their travels to warmer climes, leaving overwintering birds moving through and residents staying put. For example, our native robins are beginning to sing strong once again, needing to defend their important territories throughout the winter. Tits can be heard beginning to travel in small feeding flocks, whilst wrens and goldcrests flit in the branches currently going solo. Mammals do not make an appearance during my visit, but there are signs of the badgers, foxes, roe deer and squirrels that call the woods home. Times are bountiful for those who can find it, but harsher days are on their way!

November

The arrival of November is accompanied by shortening day lengths and biting northerly winds. Mostly the month begins calm in the woodland with grey or sunny days. As trees continue to take in the goodness of this year’s bounty of leaves, the green of summer has been fully taken over by bright fierce colours in the canopy, with the orange of oak, yellow of hazel, gold of field maple, and red of hawthorn, amongst others. The leaves also begin to fall from on high, twirling to the ground and beginning to form a crunchy leaf litter under foot. The trees are going to go out with a riot of colour!

The soft sunlight falling through the trees marks a slowing of time and activity for wildlife. Pheasants meander amongst the trees being released from local shoots. A raucous jay echoes through the still trees. Mushrooms poke up from the leaf litter here and there creating a more ethereal quality to the woodland during this time. It finally feels like autumn has arrived just at the point when people look towards the closing of the year in a month’s time. Time to savour the last hurrah of nature!

December

The year is rolling on to its close once again and winter is fully upon us. As I step back into the woodland for one last walk of the year, a cool breeze bites my cheeks whilst cheerful sunshine falls through the trees. Now I find myself surrounded by leafless forms once again, bare, skeletal, but magnificent, especially the ancient oaks. The last few hazel leaves cling to their branches, but most trees have now shed their finery, and a new carpet of leaf litter satisfyingly crunches beneath my feet. The trees are putting nutrients back into the earth as they now lay in slumber.

Up above my head, I can hear a soft tap, tap, tap. The sound of a great-spotted woodpecker moving from tree to tree once again, and tapping for food under their barks. Birds call all around me, from angry wrens, territorial robins, and hungry blue tits, to a raven passing overhead, blackbirds on the wing, and even a nuthatch going about its business. Badgers will now be sleeping more, whilst foxes are more active, thinking about breeding once again. There is still so much life to be found out in this Dorset woodland, even if all are just trying to survive through to another year. December is rolling on and a new year beckons!

A Year In The Life Of A Woodland – Part 1

/ Laura Tuke / 1 Comment

In 2022, I followed the annual cycle of one particular oak tree as it went through its own life stages, and watched the landscape change from its corner of a Dorset field. The tree encountered hunting barn owls, howling gales, breeding kestrels, and even a family of foxes, and observed such a vibrant year in nature even just from one spot. So for 2024, I wanted to follow such a story again, but this time on a different scale.

This year I am following a year in the life of an ancient, broadleaved woodland in the heart of rural, rolling Dorset. I will follow its progress from certain points within its bounds, and observe the beauty the woodland has to offer throughout the seasons. I look forward to seeing what goes on through the year, and the subtle differences from month to month at its heart. To start, I bring to you the first half of a year in the life of a woodland (January-June).

January

Entering the woods again at the start of a new year, there is a distinct feeling that the landscape currently lies in slumber. Though in previous years January has experienced wintery weather with cold spells characterised by hoar frosts and sheets of snow, this year the bite is missing from the weather, allowing the first signs of new life to appear already. The low winter sun breaks through the sturdy trunks of dormant trees, shining weak rays on the green leaves of woodland plants beginning to pop up underfoot, wood anemone and bluebells included.

Up in the naked boughs of the trees, birds fly from branch to branch, including blue tits, great tits, and goldcrests, buzzards whirl in the skies above, and pheasants make their raucous call now and again. Remaining holly and hawthorn berries provide a spot of colour against ivy and plentiful moss, but with the first lush greens and pastel yellows popping up, such as hazel catkins dangling from the trees, the woods are hinting at change. These are the first whisperings of spring in the stillness of the woodland, with more signs being found at night, such as tawny owls loudly defending their territories, and badgers and foxes increasing their roaming amongst the trees.

February

As a new month begins, the landscape feels like it is very much still in the grips of winter. A grey gloom hangs over the woodland, with the overcast sky threatening an endless possibility of rain. Where February 2023 was a cold, dry month, February 2024 is reflecting continued milder and wetter weather than average, with sunshine being much in demand. It is still not warm enough for any further advancement in the signs of spring from the previous month though, with the woodland floor still being mainly dressed in warm browns. Despite this, those first whisperings of new life can still be seen, with the slow marching growth of shoots of well known species, such as bluebell and stitchwort.

The mosses and lichens are also now joined by the much needed warm yellows of primroses and celandines, along with the red gems that are female hazel flowers. The slumbering woodland is currently the backdrop for the day-toiday life of its winter residents, but with the addition of blackbirds and song thrushes now starting to sing their melodious songs ahead of breeding in the spring.

March

As March begins, the start of blackthorn winter brings biting winds from the north, creating a break in 2024’s trend for warmer and wetter weather, which continues for the rest of the month. A rare calm day though sees the woodland bathed in soft, early spring sunshine, as it begins to finally switch from its shroud of brown to greens, with a carpet of new growth. Bluebell leaves are marching on in their advance of growth, making the most of increasing temperatures, whilst spear-shaped wild garlic leaves now carpet areas around the ambling streams through the middle of the wood. Hazel catkins are now fading to a creamy yellow, and their red female flowers are joined by swelling leaf buds. Though spring is advancing quickly, the woodland still waits for more flowers to keep company with the primroses and celandines.

A difference lies up in the trees. The woodland is coming alive with the sound of bird species that have wintered here in the UK and do not have to travel as far to return to their breeding territories. From great tits and blue tits, to wrens and goldcrests, a range of calls and songs can be heard, cut through by the sound of great-spotted woodpeckers drumming near and far. Mammals are beginning to become more active too, with grey squirrels fighting for territory and roe deer groups roaming through and around the woods. Spring is on its way!

April

As spring unfurls, the weather of April feels reminiscent of 2023, with cooler, damper weather dominating due to persistent north winds and plenty of rain. In the woods growth continues to move forward, but at a noticeably slower pace than could be expected. The month opens with tree buds swelling, hazel and hawthorn leaves bursting forth, and trees dripping with blackthorn and willow flowers. The woodland floor is coming to life now with a never ending mat of purple dog violets, pale green moschatel, yellow celandines and primroses, white stitchwort, the beginnings of purple-blue bluebells, and the fantastic starry heads of wood anemones. Wild garlic leaves continue to grow around the bubbling streams, smelling noticeably pungent now and beginning to show the whites of flower buds, whilst ferns unfurl their hairy coils across the woodland.

As the woodland bursts into life, it is accompanied by an intensifying soundtrack. In the background a rich tapestry of bird song can be heard, as migrants make their return, from great tits, blue tits and wrens, to chiffchaffs, blackbirds and robins. These include the continued crow of pheasants, the cat-like mewling of buzzards circling overhead, and the barks of grey squirrels. Listening more closely though, buzzing can now be heard as bees and flies make the most of flowers now blooming. The woodland finally feels alive after the first three months of the year taking its toll, though it waits for the return of some warm spring sunshine.

May

On a quiet afternoon at the start of the month, stepping amongst the trees is like stepping into a whole new world compared to the start of the year. Sunlight falls soft through new green leaves, dappling the woodland floor with warmth and light. At the base of the trees, the floor is now a lush green carpet of plant life. The cooler weather of April has meant that some April events have continued on into May, such as the bluebells, whilst the wind now coming from the south bringing warmer weather is beginning to promote much needed new growth.

Bluebells are just going over their peak after a spectacular show of rich purple-blue that has been breathtaking. Amongst hanging bells, stitchwort is continuing to open new flowers, alongside shocks of pink from herb Robert. New flowers appear in the forms of early-purple orchids, and red campion. Yellow archangel that took some time to arrive is becoming bleached to a creamy yellow, whereas wood anemones are bidding their final farewell. Wild garlic persists as do bright yellow celandines, adding to the show. Things move on though, as the ferns begin to overshadow the bluebells with their green fronds. Spring marches on.

With plant life becoming abundant, the woodland is now abuzz with insects of many kinds, whilst spiders make their homes between the flowers. Midges are particularly prevalent this year with a damp spring too! A highlight right now though, is the woodland’s bird life, with the continued singing of many species that call the woods home and are breeding right now, the chiffchaff really standing out in particular. Somewhere in a hole in a tree, maybe a tall oak, a female blue tit will now be sat tight on her eggs, growing the next generation of blue tits. 

June

As I step into the woodland on one of the first dry days in a while, my surroundings move from bright light to light spots and shadows. The tree canopy is now nearing completion and lush green oak, ash and hazel blanket out the light. Below on the woodland floor, a change has occurred. Spring stars have finally made their leave, and riotous bluebells, early-purple orchids, and wild garlic have been replaced by a dense green carpet of leaves. Herb Robert has taken over, with pink flowers creating a joyful pop of colour. Also these flowers are joined by white pig nut, purple germander speedwell, and pink foxgloves, and the lst yellow archangel, stitchwort and vibrant dog violets. The green seed pods of previous flowers remain, and a bluebell here and there when lucky, but now ferns stand tall above the woodland floor, unfurling their final leaves and making a canopy of their own.

As the spring season bids us farewell, it’s now the time of new life and growth, which is currently evident in the woodland. The drone of insects has lessened as flowers go over, but can still be found with flashes of blue damselflies, battling speckled wood butterflies, and striped flies. The first young of mammals, such as foxes, and birds, such as tawny owls, are also now venturing out to explore their new world. This can be heard up in the trees with the songs of birds and the alarm calls of protective parents. Summer and lazy days are on their way!

Breeding Birds on the Farm in 2022

/ Laura Tuke / 1 Comment

In the heart of rolling Dorset, you can find my family’s home, a 250 acre mixed dairy farm with the hope of producing food alongside conserving and promoting nature. As a naturalist and conservationist, the farm is my base for exploring, learning and putting ideas into practice. With an increasing variety of habitats, there is an increasing amount of wildlife to experience, explore and enjoy, in particular a fantastic diversity and abundance of bird species (explore my blog for more adventures).

In 2019, I got the opportunity to begin training as a bird ringer with a local trainer, which was one skill that I always wanted to gain. Whilst working towards gaining my next permit, a C permit, my training has allowed me to acquire greater knowledge and a new perspective of the birds that call my family’s farm home. In 2022, my C permit was in reach and my training gave me some new experiences and some continued fantastic moments. Whilst the breeding season for birds currently plays out for 2023, I want to look back on my experiences for 2022 to see what can be learnt, including our amazing barn owls.

Kestrels

In previous years on the farm, we have known kestrels have been breeding here, but not where they were nesting. In 2021, we did find one nest within a hole in an ash tree, where a pair hatched 3 chicks. Two weeks later though, at the end of June that year, bad weather unfortunately led to the chicks not surviving, potentially due to the nest being exposed to the harsh weather. Thankfully in 2022, this same hole was used again by a pair of kestrels, and they successfully reared 3 chicks fledging in the first week of July, and I was lucky to have the opportunity to ring them too.

I was as well lucky enough to discover another pair of kestrels nesting in a hole in an oak tree at the other end of the farm. This pair was also successful, raising 4 chicks to fledging in the second week of July, that again I got to ring when they were still in the nest. With spring having been odd this year, kestrels are late breeding, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out for them.

Swallows

Year-on-year, the swallows return to nest within our farm buildings and our neighbour’s outbuildings, and still do so even if population numbers are not as high as they used to be. For 2022, I began my nest checks of the two properties as part of my ringing training on the 25th May. During this check I found 5 nests in use, with one already containing eggs. These 5 eggs hatched on the 27th May, and marked the start of a rocky breeding season for the swallows. With the first round of nests, 4 nests got to the chick stage, but only 2 fledged chicks (3 and 5 respectively). One of these nests then successfully went on to rear another brood of 4 chicks to fledging, though most pairs did not re-nest as the weather was very hot and dry last summer. Fingers crossed for a better year this year!

Barn Owls

Barn owls go hand-in-hand with my family’s farm, so it is unsurprising that they are my father’s favourite bird species. With our nest box being a popular site each year, since 2019, barn owl chicks have been ringed on the farm by my ringing group, even before I started with my own ringing training. In 2021, Barn owls had a tough year though, with bad weather having an impact on their success rate on the farm. Thankfully in 2022 they had more luck, with a pair nesting in our box hatching 5 chicks, varying in size, at the end of June. They went on to successfully fledge 2 chicks. The icing on the cake was discovering another barn owl pair nesting in a hole in the ash tree also used by one of our kestrel pairs. These particular barn owls hatched eggs at the beginning of June, and went on to fledge 2 chicks too. Fantastic!

Garden Visitors

In 2022, as I worked towards finishing my training to get my bird ringing C permit, I got to do 2 days of ringing in my garden for the very first time. Though fairly small, our garden is a hub of avian activity daily, so I was excited to see what mist nets would catch. On the first day we caught 100 new birds (30 house sparrows, 30 great tits, 23 blue tits, 7 starlings, 4 chaffinches, 2 robins, 2 blackbirds, and 2 great-spotted woodpeckers), with a lot being juveniles. On the second day, 2 1/2 weeks later, a morning spent mist netting caught another 101 birds, with 92 being new (33 blue tits, 33 house sparrows, 7 great tits, 4 chaffinches, 3 robins, 3 great-spotted woodpeckers, 1 blackbird, and 1 goldfinch). It was really interesting to get the opportunity to get an idea of how many birds there really are in my area and producing young each year. Apparently alot!

All birds were ringed under license and following rules to ensure the health and welfare of the birds handled.

I look forward to seeing what 2023 will shape up to be!

Spring 2022: How It Happened

/ Laura Tuke / 1 Comment

This year spring has been a blast of colour, abundance, and new beginnings. Though April experienced some cooler weather, and storms blew up here and there, on the whole spring was calm and dry. What characterised this spring most of all though was the weather being warmer in general, making spring 2022 the 5th warmest on average with a quarter less rainfall. Turbulent winter weather led to a slower start to spring, but the increasing warmer days led to spring speeding up and going out in a hurry in my home area of Dorset.

Last year weather patterns had a big influence on spring events, with events moving earlier or later as a result. For many species, events actually occurred later in spring in Dorset in 2021 due to cooler and wetter weather overall. For example, compared to 2020, oak leaves unfurled 31 days later, bluebells flowered 4 days later, and swallows arrived 5 days later. It was an unsual spring that was still joyful, but showed the unexpected impact that climate change is already having on spring events.

After the unpredictability of spring 2021, it will be interesting to see how spring events have fared this year in 2022. How is spring looking as a season overall in 2022? Did specific spring events get back on track or continue to become later? And did spring events continue to follow weather patterns? Read on to find out!

Trees

This year on my family’s farm we have seen a general trend for tree budburst, first leaf and first flowering occurring earlier than in 2021, showing dates more similar to those of 2020 or ones that were even earlier. This was true for beech (Fagus sylvatica), field maple (Acer campestre), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), english oak (Quercus robur), wild cherry (Prunus avium), and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) trees, all between 9 and 28 days earlier. This was similar for ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and silver birch (Betula pendula) trees, but ash showed budburst 10 days later and silver birch first leaves 4 days later.

For first flowers, horse chestnut and ash trees shared the earlier trend with them blooming 2 and 34 days earlier respectively. For field maple, english oak, silver birch, wild cherry, and Norway maple flowers though, flowers actually appeared anywhere between 1 to 24 days later.

Shrubs

For blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), dog rose (Rosa canina), elder (Sambucus nigra), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), lilac (Syringa vulgaris), and hazel (Crataegus monogyna) first flowering occurred earlier than in 2021. This ranged from hazel flowers 5 days earlier to blackthorn flowers 21 days earlier.

Surprisingly for first budburst and first leaf, the opposite trend was actually shown. For blackthorn, dog rose, elder, hawthorn, and lilac these spring events were seen to occur on the same day as 2021 or later by 2-13 days. As these shrub events occur more towards the start of spring, maybe the slow start to spring was having an effect. Hazel budburst occurred 12 days earlier instead, but first leaf was delayed and ended up fitting the trend, unfurling 13 days later on 24th March.

Flowers

Though snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) first showed their snowy heads 12 days earlier on 6th January, first flowering was 6 days later for daffodils (Narcissus spp.) on 25th January, 11 days later for lesser celandines (Ficaria verna) on 26th January, and 45 days later for primroses (Primula vulgaris) on 14th February.

Other spring flowering species had a more mixed response to the season, either appearing earlier or later compared to 2021, as we moved from March to April. The earlier appearers were:

  • Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) – 6 days earlier on 26th March
  • Early purple orchid (Orchis mascula) – 11 days earlier on 7th April
  • Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) – 22 days earlier on 11th April
  • Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) – 1 day earlier on 19th April
  • Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) – 16 days earlier on 18th May

The later appearers were:

  • Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) – 2 days later on 1st April
  • Greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) – 3 days later on 4th April
  • Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) – 2 days later on 10th April
  • Cowslips (Primula veris) – 9 days later on 11th April

Grasses

This year all recorded grass species flowered earlier. Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) first flowered 18 days earlier on 22nd April, Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus) 33 days earlier on 10th May, and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) 21 days earlier on 19th May.

Birds

With birds, the first spring events of the year occurred later on average. For example, song thrushes (Turdus philomelos) were first heard singing 18 days later on 19th January, rooks (Corvus frugilegus) were first seen building their nests 2 days later on 27th February, and blackbirds (Turdus merula) were first heard singing 6 days later on 16th February.

As we reached March, events occurred earlier than in 2021, with chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita) arriving 3 days earlier on 13th March, cuckoos (Cuculus canorus), blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla), and yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella) first singing 3, 7 and 14 days earlier respecitvely in April, and great-spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major) first fledging 10 days earlier on 6th June. Swallows (Hirundo rustica) were an exception though first returning to our land 1 day later on 11th April.

Insects

The majority of insects I recorded were first seen on the wing on our land earlier than in 2021, making the most of our more stable weather, These were:

  • Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) – 27 days earlier on 3rd March
  • 7-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) – 1 day earlier on 19th March
  • Peacock butterfly (Aglais io) – 10 days earlier on 20th March
  • Small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) – 16 days earlier on 22nd March
  • Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) – 26 days earlier on 23rd March
  • Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) – 14 days earlier on 24th March
  • Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) – 53 days earlier on 21st April
  • Small white butterfly (Pieris rapae) – 14 days earlier on 8th May
  • Painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) – 43 days earlier on 17th May
  • Meadow brown butterfly (Maniola jurtina) – 27 days earlier on 22nd May
  • Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) – 31 days earlier on 17th June

The exceptions were the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) that emerged 19 days later on 18th March and orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) first seen 18 days later on 18th April.

Summary

This year during spring, plants tended to flower earlier, which could be due to the on average less turbulent weather, alongside the possibility of stress responses being triggered by the increasing temperatures at times. As a result flowers appeared earlier and went over more quickly.

Budburst and leaves did not follow as consistent a trend, but on average plants went through these spring events later than 2021. This may be due to many of these events occurring more towards the beginning of spring, when day length and temperature increases would have only just started to take an effect. Bird events followed spring in general with a slow start and a quick finish, whilst insects emerged earlier, as expected after last year’s unpredictable weather.

This year I have enjoyed all that spring had to offer, though it felt like once it got started it rushed through to its finish. In the moment it was a glorious season, but was cut short in its splendour. Being my favourite season, this year I was particularly sad when the season went over in to summer. Let’s see what will happen during the seasons to come and enjoy the adventures to be had!

Exploring With My Camera Trap Spring 2021

/ Laura Tuke / 2 Comments

After I click open the file on my camera trap, I press next through a male pheasant strutting his stuff and a female roe deer passing through, until a photo makes me stop. There towards the back of the shot are two small brown shapes. I move through the rest of the photos as day passes into night, and watch as these two rough and tumble through the photos, exploring, playing and watching their wild neighbours go past, ending with one sitting stock still in front of the camera. My camera trap had successfully found my first litter of fox cubs of the year!

The last few years I have become known for my exploration of my family’s farm in Dorset using a camera trap. My camera trap allows me to delve into the lives of my wild neighbours without intrusion or disturbance of their natural behaviour, and to use my photos to inspire others to open their eyes and be motivated to conserve our local wildlife. It is always a rollercoaster of emotions, never knowing what my camera trap might find, but in the end it is a very rewarding experience. If you are interested in getting your own camera trap or knowing how to make the most of your own, check out my ‘How to… Use and Make the Most of a Camera Trap’ guide for some more information.

My camera trap has been a very useful tool for me over the last few years, so since 2019 I have spent my spring seasons moving my camera trap around different sites across 250 acres of farmland, taking in different species and behaviour. In 2019, I saw 12 species of birds and mammals, including families of badgers and a family of three fox cubs. In 2020, my camera trapping got even more interesting, with badger cubs, a couple of litters of fox cubs, and lots of roe deer sightings. The most enjoyable shots are always the most unexpected though, despite from time to time getting a photo bomber or two, for example in the form of our farm cat!

This spring I have been out and about once again on the farm with my camera trap. This year I selected six different sites across our land, with the hope of capturing some of the normal sights, along with some new ones. As the spring has now come to an end, activity has dropped across these sites, and thus it is time to see how spring has been captured by my camera trap this year.

Camera Trapping Spring 2021

Quarry Field Badger Sett

My first camera trapping site this year was an active badger sett to the east of my family’s land. It sits between a silage field and a maize field in a wide and thick hedgerow, and is a great crossroads for animals passing through. I have used this site in previous years for camera trapping, with varying success, such as last year’s highlights of badger cubs and a lively, lone fox cub.

This year I set my camera trap up at the sett for a week (3rd-10th April), moving the position and angle every other day to increase my chances of capturing wildlife. It paid off as I had a successful first week, with rabbits, roe deer, badgers, and a fox.

Due to seeing a lone fox cub at this site last year, the presence of an adult fox at the sett once again led me to return with my camera trap seven weeks later for another week (27th May-1st June). My hunch paid off as my camera trap returned photos of two fox cubs playing, living alongside a badger family, and being fed by a parent.

Gill Hill Copse

For my next site, I set my camera trap up within a copse surrounded by a cow grazing field west of the Quarry Field badger sett. During early spring this is a great site to capture wildlife moving through the landscape as the copse is a great stopping place. I have used this site before, and last year I saw species, such as roe deer and foxes.

This year I used my camera in the copse for just one week (11th-18th April), but moved its position within the copse every couple of days. I captured photos of a territorial male pheasant, an adult badger, a grey squirrel, an adult fox, and a rather comical sequence of photos of two female roe deer being spied on by a hiding male. As vegetation in the copse grows up and spring progresses, camera trapping success decreases at this site, but it was nice to see some life early on this spring.

Dorset County Council Wood

For my third site, I set my camera trap within a small, young wood that can be found at the centre of my family’s land, bordered by a road and a meadow. I have used this wood before, with some positive sightings in 2019 of foxes and badgers passing through.

This year I tried the wood again for a couple of days (19th-24th April), with some overall disappointing results. A male pheasant and magpie were seen, with an adult fox being seen twice, but overall the wood was quiet, reflecting a lack of diversity evident in this unmanaged woodland. I did not return to the wood again during this spring as a result.

Badger Field Sett

For my fourth camera trapping site, I returned to an active badger sett towards the centre of my family’s land. The sett is bordered by grazing land on both sides, and is set within a wide, thick hedge, extending out into the field on its east side. Last year I used my camera trap to look within the sett and to the sett entrances on either side, and saw adult badgers, badger cubs, and an adult fox. This was unsurprising as the sett is a thriving mixed site for badgers, foxes and rabbits alike.

This year I positioned my camera trap first on the western side of the sett (25th-27th April), before positioning it directly within the area above the sett (4th-7th May). Pointing my camera trap at the animal track running along the side of the sett, I captured an adult badger, adult fox, and my first hare! Above the sett, my camera trap was more active, capturing lots of badger activity, woodpigeons, blackbirds, and red-legged partridges, and a surprising sighting of a field vole climbing vegetation. It was a lovely sequence of photos!

Badger Alley

For my fifth site, I chose to return to one of my favourite locations, the familiarly known Badger Alley. Badger Alley is an enclosed footpath that has dug out animal holes along half of its length, split into two old badger setts. In 2019 this was a super site for seeing badgers wondering its length, but last year it was obvious that wildlife numbers had declined, badgers in particular.

This year I spent two stints setting up my camera trap along Badger Alley. Firstly, I spent five days with my camera trap trained on the non-active lower sett, changing the camera’s position after two days (10th-14th May). Amongst photos of a female roe deer and a displaying male pheasant, I got lots of really lovely photos of two fox cubs playing and exploring their world.

I then returned to Badger Alley in June, moving my camera from the non-active lower sett (5th-11th June) to the sett further up (11th-14th June). By now my camera trap found that the family of foxes had moved on, with only the female and new male roe deer appearing at the lower sett. What was really sad, was finding that Badger Alley has now been fully abandoned by badgers, with the higher sett now being home to just rabbits. A slightly disappointing end to my camera trap’s time at Badger Alley!

Monkwood

To finish camera trapping during the spring season, I took a bet on a site where there was a possibility of finding another litter of fox cubs. This site was a hedge in the middle of cow grazing land, where I had not previously camera trapped before. I chose to set my camera trap up on a fence post pointing along the hedgeline where I had found holes into the hedge, and left my camera for a couple of days (14th-16th June).

On retrieving my camera trap, I was excited to find that my instincts had been right and my camera trap had shot photos of two fox cubs and an adult. It was a lovely end to my spring camera trapping season!

Spring 2021: How It Happened

/ Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

This spring has been an unexpected, unpredictable and turbulent season, that has taken its time to unfurl. Traditionally spring is a season that is characterised as calm and dry, with days getting longer and warmer, and the potential for cooler nights. As lighter evenings returned this year though, spring was far from traditional, with a stormy then hot March, cold and frosty April, and a wash out of a May.

Since 2017, I have recorded the dates of the events of spring every year, and with the start of my blog, every year since I have analysed and compared spring events to see how the season took form. Last year I showed that the timing of spring events is heavily linked to spring weather, resulting in either earlier or later occurrence accordingly. Over the last couple of years this has varied alot, so it will be interesting to see what has gone on this year.

This spring a lot has been going on for me, but I have still found time to be out in nature as much as possible and to enjoy the time when one season slips into another. It has felt that spring has dragged on longer this year, with the potential effects of spring starting warm and progressing to cold, then wet. So as this spring comes to a gradual close and the heat sets in, it is time to find out what actually went on during spring 2021.

Trees

This year there was a general trend for trees being later in their bud burst, leaves unfurling, and flowering compared to 2020. Even before the frosty nights of April, silver birch (Betula pendula) buds burst 14 days later on 26th March, Norway maple (Acer platanoides) first flowered 5 days later on 26th March, and beech (Fagus sylvatica) buds burst 14 days later on 27th March.

As we moved through April and into May, spring events began to stretch even further in their lateness. For example, wild cherry (Prunus avium) buds burst 35 days later on 8th April, horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) first flowered 18 days later on 20th April, alder (Alnus glutinosa) buds burst 15 days later on 21st April, the first lime (Tilia x europaea) leaves unfurled 23 days later on 26th April, pedunculate/english oak (Quercus robur) leaves first unfurled 31 days later on 5th May, and ash (Fraxinus excelsior) flowered 37 days later on 9th May.

Field maple (Acer campestre) did not follow this trend though, with bud burst being 10 days earlier on 26th March, and first leaves unfurling 5 days earlier on 1st April. This may be as these trees missed the worst of the spring weather, but for the other trees spring events ranged from being 1 to 37 days late!

Shrubs

For a lot of the shrub species I monitored a similar trend was shown as with tree species, being later compared to 2020. For example, elder (Sambucus nigra) leaves first unfurled 34 days later on 18th March, blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) first flowered 17 days later on 23rd March, and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) first flowered 23 days later on 11th May.

Though half of the shrubs I monitored were later in their spring events, ranging anywhere from 2-34 days later, two species did not completely fit this trend. For lilac (Syringa vulgaris) bud burst occurred 12 days earlier on 24th February, but flowered 17 days later on 2nd May. This was the same for dog rose (Rosa canina), where buds burst 12 days earlier on 22nd February, but first flowered 22 days later on 8th June. For both of these species though, it is the spring events occurring before April that are earlier, as the ones occurring in April and May were not immune to the frosts and heavy rainfall like the other shrubs.

Flowers

For many of our commonly associated spring flower species, there was a little more of a split between appearing earlier or later, but on average they flowered later compared to 2020. Snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) first flowered 15 days later on 18th January, wood anemones (Anemone nemorosa) 8 days later on 30th March, bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) both 4 days later on 1st April, cowslips (Primula veris) 12 days later on 2nd April, early purple orchid (Orchis mascula) 12 days later on 18th April, wild garlic (Allium ursinum) 14 days later on 20th April, and oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) 16 days later on 3rd June.

The exceptions were a section of earlier flowering species, including primrose (Primula vulgaris) first flowering 27 days earlier on 31st December, lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) 3 days earlier on 15th January, daffodil (Narcissus spp.) 22 days earlier on 19th January, and cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) 10 days earlier on 8th April. These flowers would have been influenced by a warmer winter and start to spring, generally flowering before the cold spell in April.

Birds

On average, bird species spring events have also become later this year compared to 2020. I heard my first song thrush (Turdus philomelos) singing 17 days later on 1st January, I saw my first rook (Corvus frugilegus) nests being built 10 days later on 25th February, and I heard my first chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) on 16th March. April and May events were again influenced, for example I saw my first swallow (Hirundo rustica) 5 days later on 10th April, saw my first house martin (Delichon urbicum) 9 days later on 21st April, heard my first cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) 3 days later on 1st May, and saw my first swift (Apus apus) 10 days later on 16th May.

There were two exceptions though, where I recorded hearing my first blackbird (Turdus merula) singing 13 days earlier on 10th February, and saw my first blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) 8 days earlier on 14th April. These would most likely relate to other influencing factors, such as overwintering in the UK or habitat requirements.

Insects

Compared to previous years, I have still yet to see some species of butterfly that would typically be on the wing by now, such as gatekeeper butterflies (Pyronia tithonus). For the insects I have seen though, again there was a split in event occurrence compared to 2020. For example, I saw my first small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) 2 days later on 7th April, red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) 26 days later on 7th April, brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) 26 days later on 18th April, and speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) 52 days later on 13th June.

The early emergers came in the form of my first buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) 14 days earlier on 27th February, peacock butterfly (Aglais io) 5 days earlier on 30th March, orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) 13 days earlier on 31st March, and red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) 12 days earlier on 19th April. Despite these species appearing earlier in spring, later flowering plants will have had a knock-on effect for them due to a mismatch in timing for food. Only further down the line will we be able to see the extent of this impact.

Summary

This year I have recorded more spring dates than I have done so before, such as alder trees flowering, first yellowhammer singing, and first green-veined white butterfly, which will be useful information during the years to come. This reflects how I have felt more in touch with nature this year even with the unusual weather patterns, such as alot of rain! It became clear as we went through May though, that there was a trend for events happening later and later. This is why I was so interested to see how far this trend actually extended amongst species.

Last year I wrote that spring events are ‘in fact getting later, which will be related to… weather and environmental factors here and further afield’. This year this has turned out to be the case, which shows how climate change is having more of an impact through changes in weather patterns rather than just warmer temperatures. Earlier spring events have been getting earlier with warmer winters, but heavy rainfall and colder starts to spring have been affecting late March to May events most. I wonder now what impact this might have as we move forward, for example greater mismatches in ecological timings.

Spring 2020: How It Happened

/ Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

Walking through the trees, in dappled early morning sunlight, through swathes of brilliant blue. Standing rooted to the spot, hearing the first Chiffchaff, Swallow, Cuckoo. Sitting in breezy sunshine, learning to identify Hawkbits, Vetches and Viper’s-Bugloss. These are just some of the highlights of my spring this year, wild and full of life. With each new day, there was a new wild highlight to be had.

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Following on from my post last week about my favourite photos from this spring (check out Spring 2020: In Photos), I wanted to continue celebrating the lifeline that has been spring and the natural world for me during lockdown. This week I am looking at how spring unfolded this year in my local area and how it looked now the summer is hitting our shores.

Since 2015 I have been writing down a lot of my observations about spring each year. This means I can now look at spring 2020 in light of how the last few years have actually looked and see if anything interesting comes up. Last year I did this in more detail, so for that check out my post called: How Spring Happened 2017-2019.

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So, did a favourite of my mum’s, the Chiffchaff, return by Mother’s Day this year? Did the Oak burst into leaf before the Ash (and so are we in for a splash)? And did the song of the Cuckoo return to my family’s land for another year? As spring now slips into summer, it is time for me to reflect on an extra special spring.

Trees

One of the very first trees to start showing signs of life each spring at my home in Dorset, is the Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). This year the first buds burst on the 18th of February, which shows a gradual shift forwards over the last few years, being 6 days earlier than last year, and a month earlier than 2018. The first leaf then unfurled on the 10th of March (9 days later than 2019), followed by the first flowers on the 2nd of April (13 days earlier than 2019).

Due to a cold start to spring and a very wet winter, which left the ground cold and waterlogged, Pedunculate (English) Oaks (Quercus robur) were late to make a start, with the first budburst seen on the 2nd of April, 37 days later than 2019. They got going quickly though, with leaves bursting forth by the 8th of April (4 days earlier than 2019) and flowers blooming by the 12th of April (13 days earlier than 2019).

Despite the ground, the trend this year was towards earlier budburst, first leaves and first flowers. Silver Birch (Betula pendula) buds burst on the 15th March, 15 days earlier than 2019; Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) flowered on the 2nd of April, 18 days earlier than 2019; Field Maple (Acer campestre) buds burst on the 5th of April, 13 days earlier than 2019. Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) bucked the trend though, first flowering on the 24th of February, later than last year by 10 days.

This year I added Alder (Alnus glutinosa), Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Lime (Tilia x europaea), Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) to my spring records, but I did not make observations for Sycamore as in previous years. Lime buds burst on the 14th of March, followed by the first leaf on the 3rd of April; Wild Cherry buds burst on the 15th of March, followed by the first leaf 1 month later and first flower 15 days after that; Norway Maple first flowered on the 21st of March; Alder buds burst on the 6th of April; and Beech buds burst on the 10th of April.

Shrubs

Hazel (Corylus avellana) is one species that flowers early in the year, providing a first hint of colour in a wintry landscape. This year I first saw the male catkins on the 8th of January, followed by the female red flowers on the 1st of February (5 days later than 2019). The first hazel leaf then unfurled 43 days later on the 14th of March.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is another species that flowers before it produces its leaves, cloaking hedgerows in drifts of snowy white and accompanying a ‘blackthorn winter’ in early spring. This year the first flowers burst open on the 6th of March, 5 days later than last year, but 24 days earlier than 2018.

After the early flowering species have brought colour to our countryside, Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is one of the first shrubs to burst into leaf in the hedgerows. This year its buds first burst on the 2nd of March, 5 days later than 2019, followed by the first leaf unfurling 10 days after (28 days earlier than 2019). Their flowers then followed a month after, on the 18th of April, 10 days earlier than 2019.

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A similar trend was shown with Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), where budburst took place on the 8th of March, 13 days later than 2019. The first leaf then unfurled 3 days later too, on the 25th of March, and the first flowers bloomed on the 15th of April, 7 days earlier than 2019.

The flowers of Elder (Sambucus nigra) are well known and iconic in our countryside, popular for making elderflower cordial. This year Elder flowered early, with the first flowers being seen at home on the 25th of April (22 days earlier than 2019). Just like Elder, the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) is another late bloomer, which opened its petals for the first time on the 17th of May this year (11 days earlier than last year).

Flowers 

The very first flowers to be seen blooming in the countryside is the dainty snow white Snowdrop (Galanthus spp.). Over the last few years the drooping heads of snowdrops have been flowering earlier each year. This year though, it appeared only 1 day earlier than 2019, welcoming in the year on the 3rd of January.

Snowdrops were soon followed by other iconic spring species, in the form of the first Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) on the 18th of January (44 days earlier than 2019), the first Primrose (Primula vulgaris) on the 27th of January (8 days earlier than 2019), and the first Daffodils (Narcissus spp.); on the 2nd of February (the same day as last year!).

As spring went on, the Snowdrops and sunshine yellows were joined by Wood Anemones (Anemone nemorosa) on the 22nd of March, Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) on the 28th of March, Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) on the 6th of April, Cuckooflowers (Cardamine pratensis) on the 18th of April, and Oxeye Daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) on the 18th of May, all occurring 6-17 days earlier than last year.

This year I also included three new flowering species to my spring records: Cowslips (Primula veris), Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), and Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula). I saw the first Cowslip flower on the 20th of March, the first Greater Stitchwort on the 28th of March, and the first Early Purple Orchid on the 6th of April.

Grasses

This year I was so busy in May and the first half of June that I completely overlooked the flowering of 3 common perennial grass species in my local area: Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Timothy (Phleum pratense), and Yorkshire Fog (Holcus lanatus). I did though catch Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) flowering, which first occurred on the 22nd of April (23 days earlier than 2019).

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Birds

With the start of every new year, I begin to keep my eye out for the start of the Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) nesting in the bare and skeletal forms of large oak trees near my home. This year they kept me waiting awhile though, with the first signs of nest building appearing on the 15th of February, 17 days later than 2019.

Unlike the start of the Rooks nesting though, the start of male Song Thrushes (Turdus philomelos) singing crept even earlier than last spring. This was 13 days earlier in fact, with me hearing my first on the 15th of December in 2019! This was not reflected by Blackbirds (Turdus merula) though, as I heard my first male singing on the 23rd of February, 17 days later than 2019.

One of my favourite first signs that spring has begun has to be the return of the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita). This year they returned to my home in Dorset on the 1st of March, 17 days earlier than 2019.

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The glorious return of the Chiffchaffs were then eagerly followed by the first Swallow (Hirundo rustica) on the 5th of April (1 day later than 2019), the first House Martin (Delichon urbicum) on the 12th of April (12 days earlier than 2019), the first Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) on the 22nd of April (11 days later than 2018), and the first Swift (Apus apus) on the 6th of May (19 days earlier than 2018). A Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) did make its exciting return to my family’s land too, which I heard for the first time on the 28th of April (24 days earlier than last year).

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Insects 

This year the majority of the insects I observed, emerged later than they did last year in 2019. I saw my first Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) on the 24th of March, my first Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io) on the 4th of April, my first Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly (Aglais urticae) on the 5th of April, my first Orange-Tip Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) on the 13th of April, my first Red-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) on the 1st of May, and my first queen Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) on the 7th of May, with all ranging anywhere between 4 and 37 days later in date than last year.

The ones that did not follow this pattern though, were the Speckled Wood Butterfly (Pararge aegeria) first seen on the same day as last year on the 22nd of April, and the Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) that was first seen 29 days earlier on the 22nd of April. This year I also added Buff-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) to my observations, seeing the first at home on the 13th of March.

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This Year

This year it has definitely been an interesting and joyful experience to watch how spring unfolded. It started with early signs during the winter, before arriving with a blaze of glory in March.

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This last winter was a warm, wet and windy one, which left the ground cold and waterlogged for quite a while into spring. A number of species such as Oak trees struggled with this, but for many it did not stop them from emerging on time or earlier, such as snowdrops and field maples. This variation continued with bird species, some arriving and beginning breeding earlier and some later. For a lot of the insect species though, they emerged late, which will have had a lot to do with the less than ideal weather conditions this spring, for example frosts in April. Thus, how spring is changing year-to-year definitely has a lot to do with changing weather conditions.

So as spring fades to summer heat, I can now say that the Chiffchaff made its return to the British Isles by Mother’s Day, the Oak burst into leaf before the Ash (and so we are in for a splash!), and a Cuckoo made its return to my home. It has definitely been a great spring this year!

Golden days of autumn

/ Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

As we ease into the holiday season and creep closer to the closing of the year, it is time to contemplate and reflect, be thankful for what we have, and celebrate what is important to you. Looking outwards during this time, to the world beyond the window, autumn has now also made its departure. Skeletal trees, howling gales, freezing temperatures, and dormancy characterise the landscape, though there are hidden gems to be found. As you cuddle up in your home on this cold winter’s evening, let us now remember back to those golden days of autumn.

Autumn as it happened

When I think of autumn, the first thoughts that come to mind are dazzling colours, falling leaves collecting in drifts on the ground, bountiful fruit, and migrant birds passing through. Though my favourite season tends to be blossoming spring, autumn is a time that is often the favourite of many. Each season has something special to offer and autumn is no different!

This year autumn has been a bit more unpredictable and turbulent in its advancement than many other years, being the 5th wettest english autumn since records began. Despite this, it has mainly progressed in the traditional fashion.

September saw evening temperatures drop, the start of misty mornings with spider webs shining with dew, ripening fruit and nuts, grey squirrels beginning to cache food, the emergence of the first autumn fungi, and the start of birds moving through.

October saw the trees beginning to change, becoming decked out in resplendent colour, fungi in abundance, the buzz of late insects such as wasps and honeybees, goldfinches harvesting seeds from thistles and teasels, fallen acorns becoming available as a valuable food source, the squawks of jays collecting nuts, and by the end of the month most migrants had moved on.

As the season of decline and decay moved on also, November saw oak trees in colour, other trees losing their leaves on mass, cackling fieldfare in the hedgerows, withering bracken, plentiful ripe seeds and fruit, redwings making their return, wildfowl and wading birds settling in for winter, thrushes and blackbirds harvesting fruit, winter flocks forming as they scavenge in bushes and along hedgerows, and lengthening nights.

By the end of November, most of the trees and hedgerows were bare of leaves, conditions were cooler, frost and fog were more common in the mornings, and winter was on its way.

A day in the woods

As part of my celebration of autumn this year, I made a visit to my favourite local woods. On this October trip, I spent time being mindful, capturing the world around me through words and through a lens.

‘As I step into the woods, it is noticeable how the vegetation is beginning to die away, though the ferns still stand sentinel over the woodland floor. Looking closer though, fungi is dotted everwhere. Small capped mushrooms stand only a couple of centimetres tall, whilst larger and more exquisite shapes stand taller and hang from the trunks of trees.

A nuthatch lands on a branch above my head. I look up and see that autumn is already in full swing, with the trees working at different paces, creating a spectacular mosaic of colour from fading greens to copper and gold. The trees are beginning to lose their magnificent mantels in spectacular style. Berries adorn holly and hawthorn bushes, shining scarlet in the strained autumn light.

My other senses are also stimulated. To my nose, the forest smells fresh, though with every step the woodland floor releases an aroma of damp decay and rotting vegetation. On my exposed skin, a gentle cool breeze plays, whilst midges crawl and bite.

My ears are most active though. Long-tailed tits flit from tree to tree around me, making high-pitched calls as they feed as a family, characteristic of autumn. Robins and tits also sing their songs in the trees around, before a wren sounds its alarm call and the other birds join in. Further away, still in the forest, pheasants fight, a collared dove coos, and a jay caws its raucous call as it goes about its way, storing food for winter. Outside of the wood, I can also hear farm sounds along with crows and rooks cawing.

Though the buzz of woodland life is beginning to slow, decay and slip away, the landscape is still full of life.’

Sunlight

The science of autumn

Why do leaves change colour?

  • This process is triggered by changing day length and is sped up by increased sunlight and cooler temperatures. It occurs when pigments, such as chlorophyll, is broken down, and then transported back into the branch. The colour is produced by the remaining degraded pigments in the leaf. Different amounts of pigment left in leaves creates the different colours.

Why do birds migrate?

  • Birds migrate from areas of low or decreasing resources, such as food, to areas of high or increasing resources. It can be triggered by factors such as changes in day length, temperature, or is simply a genetic predisposition. Migration can vary from short within-country movement to long-distance migration. It is still not fully understood how birds navigate during migration, but suggestions include using landmarks or an inbuilt magnetic compass.

Starlings

How do mammals survive the winter?

  • A variety of adaptations are used during the winter by different mammal species. They grow longer, thicker coats. increase food intake to produce fat reserves, and create underground nests where they can sleep through colder days. Mammals that find it difficult to cope during the winter, such as those that eat mainly insects, instead slow their body processes down nearly to a stand still to survive. This is called hibernation with common examples being seen in hedgehogs, bats and dormice.

Rabbit

The end of autumn’s glory

This year’s autumn has been fantastically colourful trees and woodlands, incredible wildlife displays and cliche autumnal moments.

Buzzard and Pheasants

One of my highlights has to be experiencing some of the more interesting migrants that rock up on the British shores during autumn. For me these included wacky wrynecks and marvellous marsh warblers giving some exciting moments.

Now autumn 2019 has come and gone in a blaze of glory, though it was a little wet at times!

Sunset

Looking back at my highlights of spring 2019

/ Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

Spring

Though I love the sunshine of summer, changing colours of autumn, and crisp days of winter, spring is by far my most favourite of seasons. Spring each year brings with it new life and a vibrancy that always lifts my spirits and makes me look forward to the rest of the year ahead.

Unfortunately for the last few years, I have felt like I have missed out on being able to fully appreciate this time of year, due to concentrating on my degrees. This year though, working in a seasonal outdoors job, things have been very different. In fact, I have been privileged enough to be able to fully immerse myself in the changing of seasons and blazing emergence of spring. Thus, I now want to take a moment to look back and reflect on my favourite moments of the amazing spring that is now slipping us by.

  1. Winter warmers

Spring began for me even before the season had started this year. With a cold winter in Dorset being experienced, my spirits were lifted at the beginning of the year with the first sprouting of snowdrops in my garden and surrounding countryside. These little white beauties reminded me that winter would not last for forever.

Snowdrops

I was then given similar reminders with the arrival of sunshine yellow hazel catkins in February, brightening a grey and imposing landscape, and the melodic songs of male song thrushes and blackbirds, especially singing to me at dusk each day. The increasing activity of plants and animals were comfortingly hinting at what was to come.

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2. Signals of spring

Following winter reminders of spring, there was nothing better than the arrival of the first real signals of its arrival. Three of my favourite standouts this year began with the blooming of vivid white and yellow flowers across the countryside, the most notable being daffodils, primroses, lesser celandines, pussy willow and sycamore. This was accompanied by the emergence of yellow-green male brimstone butterflies fluttering across the fields and along the hedgerows.

One of my most anticipated first signs of returning spring though, was the onomatopoeic call of returning chiffchaffs. These incredible small migrants, and now a resident British species, have such an iconic song that just sings that ‘spring is here’ for me. Thus, nothing brightens my days more than seeing these small birds flitting between trees and shrubs and hearing ‘chiff chaff, chiff chaff’ wherever go.

Sycamore leaves

3. A new favourite

Often from year to year I have very similar favourite moments of spring, such as the bud burst of oak and horse chestnut trees or the return of nesting barn swallows. This year for me though I got to add a new one to my highlights.

Blackthorn 5

When the first signs of spring began to creep back in this year, our hedgerows looked rather bare and empty in their skeletal form. This made it all the more noticeable when in March the hedgerows around me became awash with white, like rolling waves. Some years the flowering blackthorn does not make a full show, but this year it was rather spectacular, bringing fresh colour to the countryside around me. It even became a favourite for me to dabble with up close plant photography with my brand-new camera. Here are some of my very first photos!

4. Something special

Another of my favourite moments this spring included an additional first for me. Where many naturalists in the UK may have had spring encounters with this bird species before, previously my experience has been limited to hearing one call a year if I am lucky. This year though, I had the pleasure of being able to get well acquainted with this parasitic migrant, the common cuckoo (red-listed in the UK).

It has to be said that the male cuckoo has a song that is traditionally iconic of spring time, but as the years have been rolling on, this is has become a scarcer occurrence for many. That is why this spring I was overjoyed when most days the song of a number of male cuckoos became the soundtrack of my work life. It has been really special to become so used to this sound, and it has filled me with such pleasure on a day-to-day basis. So all I can say is that I hope I get this privilege again in the future!

Woodland

5. The best of all

For me, though I love all that spring has to hold, I cannot help but have the same favourite highlight each year. With the beginning of new life during spring, one of my favourite parts of this is our woodlands becoming lush with an assortment of plant species. The one species that stands out during this time though, is characterised by its colourful purple flowers carpeting woodland floors.

The sight of flowering bluebells at their peak is an incredible one, which is a feeling shared by many people. It is hard to pinpoint why this is so, but it may be due to how the deep purple carpet totally contrasts with its bright green surroundings, or for the sweet heady scent of native bluebells. Whatever the reason though, they always fill me with joy with every sight, along with the other flowers that are dotted amongst them, such as stitchwort and wood anemone.

With the return of the bluebells this year, it can be said that they really did not disappoint me. Many a day I took a turn through my local woods and took a moment to look back at all the memories past walks amongst the purple flowers hold for me. For example, I have always enjoyed taking a four-legged furry friend to the woods with me to responsibly enjoy this setting too.

Bluebells 2

So, as quick as the bluebells came and put on their show this year, they also died away. I cannot help but feel a little bit sad when this happens every year, but with their exit, this signals the start of the next season and that one has to offer.

Bluebells 4

Winter into spring: February on the farm

/ Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

February is often described as the bleakest month, with the land still gripped in winter and the coldest temperatures often being reached. It cannot be ignored though, that February also brings the promise of coming spring, with the feeling in the air beginning to change, as the month progresses.

Some mornings a light frost can be woken up to, but still frosts are less frequent this winter, than they used to be.

Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke

Plants are beginning to stir in February, with catkins (male flowers) hanging from hazel trees, celandines appearing, pussy willow flowering, primroses flowering, and gorse flowering in the hedgerows.

Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke

This year on our farm though, blackthorn is flowering early in February, along with horse chestnut trees already coming into bud and the buds beginning to burst.

Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke

Animals are beginning to become more active in February, with brown hares becoming easier to see in the fields, rabbits becoming ‘frisky’, female foxes being pregnant, and grey squirrels giving birth in their drays. Also, badgers are beginning to give birth to cubs too, with the most obvious sign of this being remains of grass seen around the entrance tunnels to setts, left from where badgers have dragged grass down into their setts to make nests.

Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke

As well at this time of year, starling flocks begin to disperse, as individuals head back to their breeding ranges and rooks begin to build their nests in preparation for breeding. The drumming sound of great spotted woodpeckers can now be heard more frequently, as males defend their territories against other males and attempt to attract a female. This is the same with the dawn chorus, as in February it begins to pick up, due to males defending their territories and advertising themselves to available females.

Conditions were mild towards the end of February this year, leading to insects, such as honeybees and butterflies beginning to become active.

In relation to the farm side of life, in February our four sheep were brought inside in preparation for iconic spring lambing at the end of March.

Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke
Photo taken by Marilyn Tuke

My highlight of February, was beginning to hear blackbirds singing at dawn and dusk as the month came to an end, which is a traditional sign that winter is over.