Our expert spring wildlife guide explains how to identify the season\u2019s best wildlife spectacles and best places to see them in the UK.<\/p>\n
Spring wildlife spectacles to spot in the UK<\/h2>\nDelicate blooms of lady\u2019s smock<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Cuckoo flowers bloom among damp ditches in late March. @Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nThe small, delicate, soft-lilac blooms of cuckoo flower appear along ditches and other wet places at the end of March in southern Britain and can still be found in bloom until June in more northerly areas. Cuckoo flower is the main food plant for the orange-tip butterfly and where the flowers are thick on the ground, you may find exciting numbers of this early spring butterfly swirling above and engaged in the vital quest to mate.<\/p>\n
The origins of its alternative name, lady\u2019s smock, are unclear though might be a slightly oblique reference to what young people once got up to in spring meadows.<\/p>\n More spring content:<\/p>\n
- Britain\u2019s best spring arboreta<\/a><\/li>\n
- The most welcoming signs of spring<\/a><\/li>\n
- Spring foraging in Monmouthshire with Adele Nozedar<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Golden trumpet of wild daffodils<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Wild daffodils are smaller and more delicate than their cultivated cousins.\/Credit: Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nThis more delicate ancestor of the daff that we all know and love can be distinguished by its small size and its paler petals around a darker yellow trumpet.<\/p>\n
A few fields and woods near the attractive town of Newent on the Gloucestershire-Herefordshire border are among the last strongholds of the native daffodil<\/a>. This areas was once known as the \u2018golden triangle\u2019 \u2013 roughly between the villages of Dymock, Oxenhall and Kempley \u2013 because of the abundance of flowers, which attracted human admirers from miles around. Even today there is a daffodil festival<\/a> in mid March in Kempley. One of the best places to see wild daffs here is Vell Mill daffodil meadow managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> The \u2018golden triangle\u2019 of wild daffodils lies roughly between the villages of Kempley, Oxenhall and Dymock on the Gloucestershire-Herefordshire border<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nWild daffodils were once abundant but have vanished due to loss of suitable habitat. But with luck you may also stumble on them in the Black Mountains of Monmouthshire just over the border in Monmouthshire, and also the Lake District and quiet lanes in Devon.<\/p>\n
See Britain\u2019s best daffodil walks<\/a><\/p>\nGreat tit\u2019s joyful song<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Listen out for the strident notes of the great tit from sunny days in early January onwards. @Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAs early as warmer days in mid January, great tits tentatively sound out mates and neighbours with a clear, two-note call tee-cher<\/i>, tee-cher<\/i>, tee-cher<\/i>. It\u2019s a spirited, hopeful call that grows stronger in March though begins to lose its power by late April as the bird leaves the stage to feed its first brood of young.<\/p>\n
In its place, other species \u2013 especially woodland migrants such as blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs \u2013 fill the airwaves alongside native blackbirds, songthrushes and robins.<\/p>\n
Learn more about Britain\u2019s tit species<\/a><\/p>\nBadger cubs emerge<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Badger sow and five cubs family feeding in a woodland forest having recently emerged from the sett for the first time. @Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nFemale badgers are called sows, and they usually give birth in February. Deep in the womb-like safety of the sett, the youngsters grow over the next six weeks or so, gradually exploring the tunnels and chambers as they gain in confidence.<\/p>\n
Where to see badgers<\/h3>\n
They make their first tentative visits to the outside world at night in mid to late April, closely protected by their mother. They are playful and boisterous and venture ever further as they grow stronger. The adult badgers feast greedily on earthworms brought to the surface by the warmer weather and the youngsters learn from them. It is the perfect time to go badger-watching.<\/p>\n
Learn more about badgers in our expert guide<\/a><\/p>\nChiffchaffs arriving<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Listen out for the distinctive song of the chiffchaff to herald the start of spring\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAlong with the sand martin, the chiffchaff is just about the first summer visitor to return to Britain from its winter feeding grounds around the Mediterranean and North Africa. Its two-note song seems to pop winter\u2019s bubble and heralds warmer, longer days of joy.<\/p>\n
While the voice is distinctive, the bird is less so \u2013 but the still leaf-less trees can help you pinpoint this diminutive olive-brown singer. Between songs, the chiffchaff forages avidly for spiders and other early spring invertebrates.<\/p>\n
Brimstone fly-by<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Warm March days stir the beautiful Brimstone out of hibernation. Native bluebells provide vital nectar. @Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nThis gorgeous yellow flying-handkerchief of a butterfly is one of our earliest to appear. Warm March days stir it out of hibernation and into wandering over gardens and along woodland rides and meadows looking for early flowers to feed from. While the male is a bright buttery yellow, the female is pale green but both look remarkably like leaves when at rest, which proves a useful camouflage from birds.<\/p>\n
Unlike many UK butterfly species, brimstone numbers are stable and it has even increased its range northwards in recent years, potentially due to climate change. Brimstone caterpillars feed on buckthorn and alder buckthorn leaves and the next generation emerges in August.<\/p>\n
Learn more about common butterfly species seen in the UK<\/a><\/p>\n Britain\u2019s best spring walks<\/a><\/h4>\nThe arrival of the spring equinox signals the start of longer, warmer days and the countryside is awash with colour and wildlife. A perfect season for hiking, here is our guide on the best spring walks in Britain.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div>
![\""Hiking,\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2019\/01\/Walking-In-Scotland-451a1c3.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556"\" "\\"\"Walking-In-Scotland\"\\"\/")
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>\nThe first buzzing of tree bumblebees<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Tree bumblebee is a relatively new species to the UK. @Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nThis species of bumblebee<\/a> is relatively new to the UK, first identified\u00a0just over\u00a0a decade ago in Wiltshire, arriving from mainland Europe. They have become more abundant throughout the country due to the installation of bird boxes<\/a>, which create an ideal nests for these spring pollinators<\/a>.<\/p>\nHow to identify a tree bumblebee<\/h3>\n
They are easily identifiable by their tawny, black and white banding \u2013 quite different from the bright yellow of your traditional Garden bee.<\/p>\n
Frothy blackthorn blossom<\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Flowering blackthorn beside the River Cuckmere in Sussex. Blackthorn is often the first sign of spring in our hedgerows. @Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nTiny, frosty white flowers cover our hedgerows from early March and are an important early source of nectar for bees and other insects. As the insects forage, they pollinate the flowers and by autumn these will have developed into tiny plum-like fruits that we call sloes. The blackthorn<\/a>, as its name suggests, fiercely protects its wares with sharp spines up to 3cm long \u2013 sloe hunters beware. Blackthorn leaves are feasted on through the summer by a number of butterfly and moth caterpillars, including black and brown hairstreaks.<\/p>\nWild garlic aroma<\/h3>\n![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Later in spring, wild garlic throws forth a beautiful head of white flowers \u2013 also edible. In some woodlands where there are also bluebells, the contrast of blue and white is sublime. @Getty<\/span><\/figcaption>
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2018\/09\/Cuckoosintheditches-41fb9f0.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The small, delicate, soft-lilac blooms of cuckoo flower appear along ditches and other wet places at the end of March in southern Britain and can still be found in bloom until June in more northerly areas. Cuckoo flower is the main food plant for the orange-tip butterfly and where the flowers are thick on the ground, you may find exciting numbers of this early spring butterfly swirling above and engaged in the vital quest to mate.<\/p>\n
The origins of its alternative name, lady\u2019s smock, are unclear though might be a slightly oblique reference to what young people once got up to in spring meadows.<\/p>\n More spring content:<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> This more delicate ancestor of the daff that we all know and love can be distinguished by its small size and its paler petals around a darker yellow trumpet.<\/p>\n A few fields and woods near the attractive town of Newent on the Gloucestershire-Herefordshire border are among the last strongholds of the native daffodil<\/a>. This areas was once known as the \u2018golden triangle\u2019 \u2013 roughly between the villages of Dymock, Oxenhall and Kempley \u2013 because of the abundance of flowers, which attracted human admirers from miles around. Even today there is a daffodil festival<\/a> in mid March in Kempley. One of the best places to see wild daffs here is Vell Mill daffodil meadow managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wild daffodils were once abundant but have vanished due to loss of suitable habitat. But with luck you may also stumble on them in the Black Mountains of Monmouthshire just over the border in Monmouthshire, and also the Lake District and quiet lanes in Devon.<\/p>\n See Britain\u2019s best daffodil walks<\/a><\/p>\n As early as warmer days in mid January, great tits tentatively sound out mates and neighbours with a clear, two-note call tee-cher<\/i>, tee-cher<\/i>, tee-cher<\/i>. It\u2019s a spirited, hopeful call that grows stronger in March though begins to lose its power by late April as the bird leaves the stage to feed its first brood of young.<\/p>\n In its place, other species \u2013 especially woodland migrants such as blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs \u2013 fill the airwaves alongside native blackbirds, songthrushes and robins.<\/p>\n Learn more about Britain\u2019s tit species<\/a><\/p>\n Female badgers are called sows, and they usually give birth in February. Deep in the womb-like safety of the sett, the youngsters grow over the next six weeks or so, gradually exploring the tunnels and chambers as they gain in confidence.<\/p>\n They make their first tentative visits to the outside world at night in mid to late April, closely protected by their mother. They are playful and boisterous and venture ever further as they grow stronger. The adult badgers feast greedily on earthworms brought to the surface by the warmer weather and the youngsters learn from them. It is the perfect time to go badger-watching.<\/p>\n Learn more about badgers in our expert guide<\/a><\/p>\n Along with the sand martin, the chiffchaff is just about the first summer visitor to return to Britain from its winter feeding grounds around the Mediterranean and North Africa. Its two-note song seems to pop winter\u2019s bubble and heralds warmer, longer days of joy.<\/p>\n While the voice is distinctive, the bird is less so \u2013 but the still leaf-less trees can help you pinpoint this diminutive olive-brown singer. Between songs, the chiffchaff forages avidly for spiders and other early spring invertebrates.<\/p>\n This gorgeous yellow flying-handkerchief of a butterfly is one of our earliest to appear. Warm March days stir it out of hibernation and into wandering over gardens and along woodland rides and meadows looking for early flowers to feed from. While the male is a bright buttery yellow, the female is pale green but both look remarkably like leaves when at rest, which proves a useful camouflage from birds.<\/p>\n Unlike many UK butterfly species, brimstone numbers are stable and it has even increased its range northwards in recent years, potentially due to climate change. Brimstone caterpillars feed on buckthorn and alder buckthorn leaves and the next generation emerges in August.<\/p>\n Learn more about common butterfly species seen in the UK<\/a><\/p>\n The arrival of the spring equinox signals the start of longer, warmer days and the countryside is awash with colour and wildlife. A perfect season for hiking, here is our guide on the best spring walks in Britain.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> This species of bumblebee<\/a> is relatively new to the UK, first identified\u00a0just over\u00a0a decade ago in Wiltshire, arriving from mainland Europe. They have become more abundant throughout the country due to the installation of bird boxes<\/a>, which create an ideal nests for these spring pollinators<\/a>.<\/p>\n They are easily identifiable by their tawny, black and white banding \u2013 quite different from the bright yellow of your traditional Garden bee.<\/p>\n Tiny, frosty white flowers cover our hedgerows from early March and are an important early source of nectar for bees and other insects. As the insects forage, they pollinate the flowers and by autumn these will have developed into tiny plum-like fruits that we call sloes. The blackthorn<\/a>, as its name suggests, fiercely protects its wares with sharp spines up to 3cm long \u2013 sloe hunters beware. Blackthorn leaves are feasted on through the summer by a number of butterfly and moth caterpillars, including black and brown hairstreaks.<\/p>\nGolden trumpet of wild daffodils<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2018\/09\/Daffodils-eddcd40.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2020\/02\/Screenshot-2023-01-20-at-09.07.43-aa6a521.png?quality=90&resize=478%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Great tit\u2019s joyful song<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2020\/02\/GettyImages-114387325-78b1aa3.jpg?quality=90&resize=537%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Badger cubs emerge<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2020\/02\/GettyImages-1040361032-5e40b0d.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Where to see badgers<\/h3>\n
Chiffchaffs arriving<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2018\/09\/Chiffchaffs-afcd381.jpg?quality=90&resize=551%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Brimstone fly-by<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2018\/09\/Brimstone-butterfly-cf8a8c6.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Britain\u2019s best spring walks<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>The first buzzing of tree bumblebees<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2018\/09\/Bee20on20bluebells202-1-112d7df.jpg?quality=90&resize=543%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How to identify a tree bumblebee<\/h3>\n
Frothy blackthorn blossom<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2020\/02\/GettyImages-857326576-896428d.jpg?quality=90&resize=551%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Wild garlic aroma<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2020\/02\/GettyImages-919443434-13db658.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>