Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
Winter’s long and dark nights are behind us at last. Warmer temperatures, longer days, birds singing, flowers blooming – spring is here and it’s a reason to celebrate. Let’s take a look at some of the signs of the changing season.
1. Screaming Swifts
Nothing says spring is here quite like the screaming of these boisterous, noisy neighbours. Swifts spend their lives almost entirely on the wing and even feed, sleep and mate in flight. Each year, Swifts return to Wales from Africa to breed but numbers are plummeting. They like gaps high up on our homes and other buildings, but these important nooks and crannies can be lost when buildings are being worked on. Between 1995 and 2021, there’s been a 74% decline in Swift numbers across Wales.
To help Swifts, we need to know where they are. If you see Swifts coming and going into holes in buildings, or see a screeching party in your area, record your sighting on Swift Mapper, a web-based mapping system and mobile app developed alongside our partners. This will help us protect existing nest sites from destruction and where we can, work with local authorities and developers to integrate new nesting sites into new developments. You can also help by putting up a nest box to provide alternative nesting sites.
2. Carpet of Bluebells
A walk through a sun-dappled wood among a carpet of Bluebells is a wonderful way to lift the spirit. They’re in full bloom in April, and their deep blue-violet shade and unmistakable strong, sweet scent provide a heart-lifting escape from the day-to-day monotony of life. Almost half of the world’s Bluebells are found in the UK– they’re rare elsewhere. They’re considered so important that they are classed as a protected species and it is illegal to intentionally pick, uproot or destroy them. We know how tempting it can be to walk into the middle of this beautiful seascape they provide on the woodland floor, but Bluebell colonies take around five to seven years to establish from seed to flower and can take years to recover from footfall damage. Lake Vyrnwy and RSPB Ynys-hir are particular good spots to see them at this time of the year.
3. Call of the Cuckoo
The call of the Cuckoo is rarer than it was once, with its indistinguishable song likely to be heard in the uplands and boggy areas of Wales. Cuckoos spend winter in Africa but make their way over here to breed, normally arriving from mid-April. Once mated, the female busily looks for a nest to plant her egg in, specifically choosing the same species as what raised her. She’ll spend hours looking for the perfect nest, taking note of the comings and goings of the host bird. She must lay her egg when the host’s own clutch has started and when that time comes, will lay her egg in the host nest and remove the host’s egg in her bill before disappearing. Before the chick hatches, its parent will be long gone. What is equally as intriguing is how a young, inexperienced Cuckoo, knows how and when to set off on its long migration journey to Africa, the direction to take and when to stop. If you’re looking to hear or spot your first Cuckoo this spring, our reserves are a great place to start with RSPB Carngafallt being one of the best places to go.
4. Boxing Hares
Brown Hares are very distinct with their golden-brown fur and long ears. They can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour, making them the country’s fastest land mammal. You can see them year-round, but this unique boxing behaviour is most visible in early spring as the breeding season gets underway. The males are put through their paces by the females, in what can only be described as an uncompromising selection process. First comes a battle of will as they both engage in a frantic boxing session together, with the male doing all he can to captivate the female with his grit and determination. Next, his stamina is put to the ultimate test with a high-chase pursuit. If that isn’t enough, to finish the male must show his steely persistence and commitment to the female by fending off other rival males before he can prove himself as a worthy mate. The best time to spot Hares is either first thing in the morning or early evening, with RSPB South Stack being a popular place to see them.
5. Return of the Pied Flycatcher
Wales' Oak woodlands are the breeding stronghold for this spring visitor. Like many migratory birds, Pied Flycatchers face complex challenges both in breeding and wintering areas, such as more regular extreme weather events linked to climate change. Wales holds the majority of the UK population (68 – 76%), and due to their recent decline in breeding population across the UK, they are a priority species for us. In Wales, Highland Cattle grazing is used to create the right habitat conditions for them in the Celtic Rainforest and we’re working with volunteers across several of our reserves, including Lake Vyrnwy and RSPB Gwenffrwd Dinas to provide nest boxes for them.
Get involved in International Dawn Chorus Day!
Sunday 5 May marks International Dawn Chorus Day. Research shows that listening to birdsong can improve our mental health and wellbeing. Our reserves are the perfect place to head out to and hear birds singing brightly throughout spring, with many running special Dawn Chorus events in April and May. You can find out more information on our website about these events. Visit rspb.org.uk.