March is the month where spring flowers burst into bloom, bird song warms the cockles on those still chilly mornings and the first of the summer visitors begin to arrive.
[Image Description: Chiffchaff is sitting amongst green and yellow flowers] [Ben Andrews]
March is when we begin to regularly hear the rich dulcet tones of the Blackbird. Their flutey notes are a timely reminder that those warm summer nights when they serenade us with song will soon be here. They are one of the first birds to break out the tunes in the morning, and I love standing at the back door with a warm cup of tea listening to their beautiful song to start my day off.
If you are planning a visit to any of the RSPB NI nature reserves, listen out for the sound of the Snipe! They make their own musical rules, and in early spring, the males take to the sky to perform for the females. But they don’t sing like you may expect, instead they vibrate their feathers to create a haunting sound not dissimilar to something you might hear during Dr Who.
There’s been murmurings of ‘the grand stretch in the evening’ returning over the last week or so, and as the days get longer, we’ll start to see the first of our summer visitors turning up. One of my personal favourites is the Chiffchaff, a small olive-brown warbler which can be spotted flitting through trees and shrubs with their distinctive tail-wagging movements. I’ll be listening out for their ‘chiff chaff, chiff chaff’ song from which they famously get their name.
Sand Martins will soon be soaring back over from the Sahara, settling in for their summer holidays before heading back to Africa in October. However, the first summer visitor to arrive from Africa is typically the Wheatear. The male is a striking bird, with a pale orange chest and black and white eye stripes, a bit like a feathery bandit. Although they breed in our uplands, in early March you can spot them almost anywhere as they travel through, with their white behind becoming more prominent in flight.
Make sure to start planning your spring walks, from bluebells at Lough Beg to singing Skylarks at Portmore Lough. RSPB nature reserves offer an opportunity to spot some incredible nature moments. National Lottery Open Week is back and takes place from Saturday 9 – Sunday 17 March 2024! All you need to do is show your lottery ticket at one of our reserves for free entry
Find a nature reserve near you at www.rspb.org.uk/reserves