Island Life Magazine Ltd February / March 2016 | Page 70

COUNTRY LIFE
Wild Spring – further afield
If you want to explore a little further afield than
your home turf, why not go in for a bit of ‘wild’
Springwatching and make a day or a weekend of it?
Britain has some of the most important seabird
colonies in Europe, so you won’t have to travel too
far in this country to watch the antics of puffins,
guillemots, razorbills, gannets, cormorants and
gulls. Watching a vibrant, noisy seabird colony is an
experience you won’t forget!
Closer to home, why not visit a local Wildlife Trust
woodland nature reserve, where you’ll see many
woodland flowers at their best before the trees
come into full leaf. If you come across masses of
bluebells, wood anemones, wild garlic, wood sorrel
and early purple orchids, you can be sure you’re in
an ancient woodland that’s likely to be host to many
other kinds of wildlife too.
Spring is also the perfect season to enjoy and
appreciate bird song, and many local Wildlife Trusts
organise dawn chorus walks that you can join.
Taking an early morning walk is always great for
watching wildlife, and early morning is the best time
for hearing bird song.
Make the whole Springwatch experience even more
fun by keeping your own wildlife diary. Jot down in a
notebook when and where you see your first spring
flowers, migrant birds, frog spawn, first butterflies
and dragonflies and other seasonal signs. This isn’t
just fascinating for you and your children - your
records can actually help scientists who are studying
climate change and its impact.
Meanwhile, if you want to ensure you can watch
Springtime unfold from the comfort of your own
home, why not sow some wildflower seeds in the
garden or even a window box. You’ll enjoy watching
them as they sprout, grow and then bloom, and
they’ll help attract butterflies and bees right to your
window.

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