It's not just hares: mad march animals

You've heard of the mad March hare, right?

You know, when the year swings into March and our fields up and down the country turn into battlegrounds. Fur is flying as female hares give the tiresome males a bop on the nose to tell them they’re getting too close. Not seen it for yourself? Check out our video below.

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It’s not just hares though. March sees Spring attempt to shake off winter’s hold and nature starts to get busy.

Migrant birds are returning, mammals are squaring up and amphibians and reptiles wake from their winter slumbers. So, what else is going on?

Great crested dancing

Although this year's mild winter may have played havoc with a newt's internal clock, usually in March adult newts emerge from where they've spent the winter.

They’ll then head to a suitable pond and get ready for breeding. Once there, the males perform an elaborate dance, in an attempt to woo the females. You can see this for yourself on a video on the Arkive website.

It mainly involves a lot of tail waggling - but it's worth a watch. But then, if you had a tail, you would, wouldn't you?

Perhaps it's something to do with being called great crested, but our grebes are also thinking about cracking out their dance moves! A pair attempt to impress each other by shaking and waving their heads around and using weeds as a romantic adornment. See the video below:

Mad birds!

OK, maybe it's not mad in the grand scheme of things, but I've always thought some of our migrants are a bit mad for returning to the UK in March!

Take chiffchaffs, for example. These tiny birds, weighing less than a pound coin must think it’s blooming freezing! I mean, why would you swap southern Spain for these shores? But listen out for them singing their name from the tops of the bare trees – a real sign spring is here. Not sure what they sound like? Have a listen.

Nesting? Already?

Yep, it’s already beginning – a couple of months before the BBC Springwatch team start beaming the trials and tribulations of bird family life live to the nation.

There may even be some small punk-rockers in your local park - grey herons start nesting in February. Look out for the chicks begging fish from their parents in a park near you.

Have you seen any mad March nature?

What have I missed? What’s your favourite March moment?