Wildlife this Month - May 2008

The weather is keeping us guessing as usual this year but May will still hopefully prove to be a great month to see wildlife. Sometimes our local birds can seem to disappear for a while, as they are sitting on eggs and hidden away for much of the day. In May many will be obvious as they forage for food to take to their young and sometimes the fact they are so busy allows us viewing opportunities we might not normally get.

Wildlife Highlights this Month

By early May most of the summer migrants have arrived. In our area the warblers such as chiffchaff, whitethroat, blackcap and willow warbler are singing their hearts out from the trees and bushes surrounding our garden. Early May is the chance to enjoy the grand finale of wild birdsong as partners are found and territories declared. Later in the month many birds cease their singing as the hustle and bustle of parenting replaces the rivalry of courtship.
The swifts, swallows and martins that symbolise summer to the British are now back from Africa to breed. It is a marvel how these birds find their way home to us but we should not forget that other creatures achieve similar feats. The painted lady butterfly migrates from North Africa to these shores and should be appearing during May. For a butterfly this seems truly miraculous and deserves our respect! Painted ladies (see photo) look rather like a paler version of the more common lesser tortoiseshell, so watch out for them in your garden.
Other insects are particularly associated with this month: one being the cockchafer or ‘May bug’ (see photo). The adults appear this month for a few brief weeks following several years underground in their larval form. After dark these large brown beetles sometimes fly with a loud thump into the windows of lit rooms, as they go about the business of seeking a mate. On clean and fast-flowing streams mayflies will emerge this month and be a treat for fish, bats and birds!
The hedgerows have been flowering for several weeks now but the blossoms of blackthorn, which dominated in April, are superseded this month by hawthorn (also commonly known as ‘May’). Good weather is needed for the insect pollinators that will ensure a bountiful berry crop in the autumn.
This is one of the peak months for meadow flowers and a huge selection can be seen in suitable habitat. Through the efforts of conscientious farmers and the practice of leaving wide margins around fields, we are seeing increasing numbers of wildflowers in the countryside. Dormant seeds can lie in the soil for years waiting for an opportunity to sprout and wildflowers can consequently re-colonise quite quickly, given the right conditions.
Perhaps due to a cold April, this year there seem to be many primroses still in flower at a time when the cowslips are also flowering. As the two plants are both species of Primula and can hybridise, this may lead to a few more ‘false oxlips’ in subsequent years - the true oxlip is a scarce plant restricted mainly to East Anglia but the hybrid of the primrose and cowslip has similar characteristics, hence its name.
Although the fantastic sight and perfume of bluebells is a joy to behold in early May, the emerging tree canopy will bring darkness to the woodland floor as the month progresses. Oak and ash are among the last trees to awaken after winter but cast a deep shadow when their leaves fully emerge this month.

Helping Wildlife

Garden birds will now be nesting so it remains crucial to check carefully before careless pruning in case this exposes a nest to potential predators. When birds begin sitting nest boxes can appear inactive, so be sure to check carefully before assuming no one has taken up residence.

Many birds will now be raising young so it remains essential to be careful in the garden. Robins in particular nest in the strangest of places so please be aware of this – we had one that nested in the top of an open bag of compost! It is a real treat to discover birds nesting in the garden you have created but do try to resist the temptation to visit the nest site, as birds can abandon those they believe have been discovered.

As the sources of natural food increase with the approach of summer, the reliance of wild birds on feeders will decrease. This provides some seasonal relief to all of us with regard to the bill for bird food but continued supply of suitable feed by humans will assist those birds struggling to find sufficient food or raising large broods.

With large numbers of insects on the wing, bats will also be breeding. Although we tend to associate them with old houses, some species will move to summer ‘nursery’ roosts under the eaves of suitable new houses. If you are lucky enough to have bats sharing your house please be sensitive to their needs; all species of bat are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is an offence to disturb their breeding sites.

Tasks to Consider on the Wildlife-Friendly Farm

Ground nesting birds are now at the height of their breeding programme and will be on the nest or raising young, so wherever possible please do take this into consideration when working. Please also be aware of brown hares or deer that may be raising young in your fields. When working fields with machinery it is best practice to work up and down across the field to encourage wildlife to flee to the sides; working around and around the field forces animals into the centre and is far more likely to result in harm to them. Any field corners, strips, margins or set-aside land that can be left undisturbed during this period will provide ideal shelter for wildlife and hunting grounds for owls, kestrels and others.

Many projects on the farm will get under way now the better weather is here. Please remember to consider the potential effect on wildlife and minimise any adverse impact and, where possible, try to build in wildlife benefits. Also be aware that any work on slurry, fuel and other systems that may cause pollution if they fail, must now be built in compliance with the Control of Pollution Regulations and their use notified to the Environment Agency. You can get advice via the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/

Many farms are now becoming more ‘wildlife-friendly’ and have wide field margins, buffer zones, protected areas, skylark plots, etc in place to encourage wildlife. In some favoured areas all manner of plants and animals may take advantage of this more sympathetic farming so keep your eyes open for species new to your farm and be prepared to adapt practices to encourage any re-colonisation of unusual types.

The White Gold Team