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March update
Furry Fact Sheet of the month
This month our furry fact sheet for download is about Ducks.
Find out lots of interesting facts and information about these feathered swimmers.
Want to look through the archives of the previous furry fact sheets? Feel free to browse from the drop-list button below.
Mammals
Several British mammals become more active this month. Hedgehogs and bats begin to come out of their winter hibernation, and you might be able to spot bats out and about as night falls, feeding on flying insects.
Many fox cubs are born this month, and badger cubs born in February continue to grow and be nursed by their mums underground.
Hares can also be seen acting very strangely in March, displaying ‘mad March hare’ behaviour and bouncing about like mad as the males try to mate with the females!
Birds
The dawn chorus in your garden is likely to become louder and louder this month. Blackbirds, thrushes, robins, greenfinches and great tits all sing their hearts out, as they defend their territories and start preparing their nests for chicks.
Look out for garden birds flying back and forth with twigs in their mouths as they build their new homes.
The first of the summer’s migrant birds start to arrive in the UK this month, after traveling from warmer countries in Africa. Keep an eye out for the chiff-chaff (a small green warbler) and the swallow.
On the coast, seabird colonies will also begin to grow. Birds like gannets start to find suitable nesting sites on cliffs and rocks, ready to raise their chicks later in the year.
amphibians
Frogs, toads and newts continue to mate this month, and females which have already mated lay their spawn (jelly-like eggs) in garden ponds.
INSECTS
Most insects will have either died or hidden away during the winter months. However, during warmer days in March, you’re likely to see several different types re-emerging.
The brimstone is one of the first butterflies to get out and about, feeding on the nectar of primroses, which come into flower this month.
The first bumblebees of the year will also start buzzing about - and ladybirds will begin to come out of hibernation.
PLANTS AND FLOWERS
Lots of plants and flowers will start to burst out this month. If you visit your local woodland, you’re likely to see lesser celandine (with yellow petals), snow drops, and sweet violets (with small purple flower heads).
Towards the end of March, masses of white blackthorn blossom can be found in hedgerows. And keep an eye out for the catkins of goat willow. This is also known as the pussy willow, and the dangling catkins look like they’re covered in fur!
In your garden or local park there will plenty of flowers that grow from bulbs - like crocus and daffodils.
Finally, if you visit an area of heathland, look out for prickly gorse with its bright yellow flowers. This is important to bees and other insects, as it provides them with an early source of food.
Get stuck in!
Here are five ways to can help your local wildlife during March:
1. Help birds build their homes
Garden birds are busy building their nests this month. To help them out, leave twigs, dried moss and even your dog’s hair near your bird feeding table. All these make useful nest materials!
2. Build a hideaway for frogs
If your garden isn’t big enough for a pond, you could create a smaller hideaway for frogs instead. All you have to do is find a clean washing-up bowl, dig a small hole in a quiet, shady garden spot and put the bowl inside.
Then fill it with water, and add a big stone so frogs can get in and out easily.
3. Attract butterflies
March is a good month to plant new garden bushes and shrubs. You can help out butterflies by choosing plants that produce lots of nectar, like buddleia. This is such a popular choice for the insects that it’s also known as the ‘butterfly bush’.
4. Leave your hedges alone
Ask your mum and dad to stop trimming the hedges and trees in the garden this month. March is the time lots of garden birds build their nests, and you wouldn’t want to damage their new homes!
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