Spring is on the way - let's connect with nature
Bluebells in bloom by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
With the lengthening days and the warmth now apparent when we get a bit of sun, it is increasingly clear that spring is on the way. What a great feeling! I for one find getting up and about seems a whole lot easier, and my energy levels are increasing as each day gets a bit more daylight.
The natural world is similarly inspired – reminding me that we are part of nature still, despite the fact that half the world’s population now live in urban environments. And despite that urbanisation nature is still there to inspire us as this story (getting millions of hits on the BBC website) shows – the little girl who gets gifts from birds. I love the simple pleasure and honesty about this – and the connection an eight-year-old is making with nature. The sad thing about this of course is that it is newsworthy. But when so few young people play outdoors at all, and even fewer have access to wildlife then we shouldn’t be surprised. Getting more children and families connected to nature is one of the RSPB’s key ambitions.
Turning to Scotland it’s hard not to be excited by what spring will offer. Golden eagles (the subject of a national survey this year) are already preparing to lay eggs – some will lay as early as mid March when snow still covers their territories. A morning walk near large trees or in parkland should reveal a mistle thrush in full song – the “Maevis” as it’s locally known can often be seen silhouetted 20-30 meters up perched on an exposed snag singing his heart out! It is another early bird that starts breeding before winter is truly out. Buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels will soar in the warmer air, displaying over their chosen territories, and rooks are tending to their bulky stick nests, renewing their pair bonds and getting ready to settle down and rear a new brood.
Curlew by Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
I also love the return of lapwings and curlews to the inland farmlands and moorland. A true harbinger of spring – their calls and tumbling displays gladden my heart. They are both in steep decline, particularly in lowland areas where intensive grass management, or winter cereals have squeezed them out, which is why we are appealing to farmers in Scotland to help look after them.
Soon we can look forward to the wildflowers of the agriculturally unimproved pastures and herb rich grasslands, again these colourful and special areas are all too rare. Native woodlands will also come into bloom, with carpets of flowers seeking the sun before the leaves on the trees burst forth and shade them out. The intensely coloured bluebells, the white of greater stitchwort and if you are lucky an early purple orchid. Yes - I love the spring. But the chorus of birds, the splashes of wildflower colour and the drone of bumblebees must not be taken for granted. A child today has far less chance of hearing a skylark sing (about a 50% less chance) than I did when I was a boy. Agricultural production may have increased, but must we suffer further losses to nature?
Let's think about what intangible benefits nature provides for our health and wellbeing and protect it, because we want a world richer in nature. And our kids today deserve to see it, and experience it just as much as I did.