Love is in the air at Coombes Valley this week. The signs of spring are making an appearance from every corner of the reserve. Whether that’s the birds starting to chirp, insects creeping out of their cosy homes or the buds breaking through. The snow made a welcome return on Tuesday, making the place glisten like a scene from a fairy tale! Coombes took a battering on Wednesday as we saw the return of high winds and heavy rain, turning the brook into rapids. Mother Nature calmed once again with the sun shining down. So with the weather report over, it’s onward with our recent sightings…
Brown Hare – Whilst out clearing scrub, Rachel and I came across a hare. It seemed totally unfazed by us watching, before disappearing into the undergrowth. Perhaps it was late for a very important date? The hare is a much longer-limbed animal, distinguished from rabbits by their slightly longer black-tipped ears. Soon they will start a frenzy of “boxing” where they strike each other with their paws. This well know “mad March hare” behaviour involves unreceptive females fending off passionate males. That’s girl power for you!
Snowdrops – It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without flowers. Becky, Rachel, Steve and I encountered carpets of these delicate looking plants in the woodland. Renowned for their early flowering, they can even push through frozen ground. Although you might think they look fragile, snowdrops are extremely hardy. They can cope with a covering of snow, due to the “anti-freeze” like substance in their leaves. The downside to flowering in winter is that most pollinating insects are scarce. Unless you’re a brave queen bee. So these little drops of snow spread mainly through bulb division. The inner flower segments have a green patch towards the tip, and there’s only one flower per stem. Take a walk through the woodland and see if you can spot them too...
Snowdrops by Becky Austin
Seven-Spot Ladybird – These greenfly munching machines have been braving the weather and making an appearance. Although at this time of year they are usually “hiding” from the cold, on warmer days they will venture out. Nicknamed the “love bug” due to their high reproduction rates, they can chomp through 5,000 aphids in a year! The bold colours and markings help to warn off predators, and stop them being eaten. Isn’t nature clever? You can identify the species, often by counting the number of spots. Why not make a home for these insects in your own garden, please visit http://homes.rspb.org.uk/ for more information.
Greater Featherwort (Moss) – Sometimes it’s the small things that can get overlooked. When working through the woodland, you can’t help but notice the vast array of mosses. Mosses were one of the first plants on earth! Unlike other plants mosses can carry on growing all year round where moisture is available even in the depths of winter, providing an evergreen forest for invertebrates. Mosses don’t actually have roots like most other plants. This is why they grow in areas where moisture is highly available. Moss gets its food from the soil, rain, dew and snow.
Greater Featherwort by Carl Capewell
Robin – This easily recognised bird, known for its cheery song – showed its romantic side this week. Out on the reserve I could hear one singing not far from where I was working. I looked up to see him perching on a nearby holly bush. I carried on watching to find him doing his display dance, although it wasn’t quite Y-M-C-A – it was something special! Later I saw him offering a juicy worm to his new found mate. Who said chivalry was dead? Males can hold the same territory throughout their lives and fiercly defend it. Each robin has a unique breast pattern, and can (with difficulty) be recognised individually. Later in spring look out for their offspring which have a brown breast.
Elsewhere, the sparrowhawks are still making visits to the bird feeder area, so keep an eye out when resting on the benches. Becky recorded one coming to the feeders six times in one day! Flocks of redwings and fieldfares have still been spotted too. So with all this to discover there’s only one thing left to do. Grab your wellies, wrap up warm and pay us a visit - I’m sure you’ll fall in love too…
Snowy Coombes by Carl Capewell