BluebellsThere are bluebells galore at over twenty of our reserves. Come and lose yourself in a fragrant purple haze.
LambsDid you know we manage an organic farm at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys? Come and meet our newborn lambs at special events on the farm. Alternatively, go to Saltholme in Cleveland and meet our new Shetland lambs. I challenge you not to fall in love with these fluffy emblems of spring. Baaa!
BirdsongAs you may have noticed, birds are waking up early – so why not join them? We’re running dawn chorus events at Minsmere and Snape in Suffolk, and at Coombes Valley in Staffordshire. Find out more about birdsong and let us guide you through their melodies. Snape offers a fry-up afterwards.
If you’d rather avoid an early start, you can enjoy some fantastic birdsong on your own by taking a stroll around many of our reserves. Here are our top five to enjoy spring songs:
Top Lodge, Northamptonshire
Nagshead, Gloucestershire
Arne, Dorset
Conwy, near Snowdonia
Insh Marshes, Highland
ButterfliesOn warm days there’s a good chance of seeing butterflies across the UK – here are our top spots for butterflies.
Natterjack toadsYou can usually find frogspawn in your local park or garden pond, but you don’t often get the chance to see or hear natterjack toads. They are rare in Britain, and very noisy – you can hear the males from several kilometres away! If you live in Dumfries and Galloway, Flintshire or Bedfordshire why not pop along to our reserves that have these special toads?
Black grouseLove is in the air. Now is the time when the males hit the dance floor and strut their funky stuff to woo the females. Corrimony in the Highlands are running black grouse safaris in May where you can get a glimpse into this usually hidden world. We’re also running a Date With Nature in North Wales in April and May, where you can join us for black grouse walks.
The first Swallow of the season - seen near Castle Howard in North Yorkshire on 18th April perching on a phone wire.