![\""Northern\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/03\/Northern-wheatear.-Robin-Chittenden-98b7a26.jpg?quality=90&resize=275%2C413"\" "\\"\"Northern\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>March in Britain is a fickle month in terms of the weather: sometimes bitterly cold, at others balmy enough for short sleeves. But whatever the weather has in store, March is when the first migratory birds arrive from their wintering grounds in Africa. Among them are wheatears, perky members of the chat family (and relatives of the robin). Males are smartest, with their black \u2018mask\u2019, grey upperparts and sandy underparts, but both they and the browner females have a pure white rump.<\/p>\n
The earliest wheatear sightings \u2013 typically in mid-March \u2013 come from grassy headlands and cliffs on the south coast of England. By mid-April, sightings will be coming thick and fast, as the birds move to their upland breeding areas in Wales and northern Britain, always favouring areas of short turf or bare earth.<\/p>\n
The northern wheatear\u2019s scientific name, Oenanthe oenanthe<\/em>, is an example of a tautonym<\/a>, where the genus and specific name are the same.<\/p>\n Our tiniest woodpecker is probably most noticeable in March, as territorial males drum on trees and call to prospective mates. Now rare in Britain and invariably shy, the sparrow-sized species is tricky to see, but at least the woodland canopy is still leafless this month. A recent study found that competition with its great spotted relative is not behind its mysterious precipitous decline.<\/p>\n Said to be a favourite flower of the Queen, the primrose is appreciated by other queens too \u2013 bumblebees. In March, the plant\u2019s yellow rosettes are a lifeline for newly emerged white- tailed and buff-tailed queens, as well as early bumblebees, bee-flies and butterflies. Find a primrose patch and enjoy a few mindful moments in nature as you wait to see what turns up.<\/p> The first butterfly of the year always lifts the spirits \u2013 and it\u2019s often a comma. This butterfly seems to glow orange like the embers of a bonfire, instantly lighting up any March day. On closer inspection, the upper wings are a rich mix of oranges and browns, which, complete with the insect\u2019s ragged wing outline, brilliantly impersonate an autumn leaf. In fact, the butterfly is named for the small white mark on the underside of its hind wing, but you\u2019ll need a clear view of a resting individual to see this well.<\/p>\n Commas are seen so early in the year because, like brimstones, peacock butterflies and small tortoiseshells, they hibernate as adults. All it takes is a bit of March sunshine to lift the air temperature, and the hardy insects begin to stir from their winter resting places in hollow trees or among tree roots or piles of brushwood. Nectar is still in short supply in March, but primroses and catkins are both popular with freshly emerged commas. These butterflies also love to bask in the warmth, for example on the sunny side of a tree trunk.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Marsh marigold is like a massive version of lesser celandine, whose cheerful, bright yellow flowers are such a harbinger of spring. Both species are in flower by March and belong to the buttercup family, but they favour different habitats. Whereas lesser celandine is found in all kinds of open woodland, often on banks or beside paths, marsh marigold likes its feet wet. It thrives everywhere from ditches and marshes to flooded woodland, and is an excellent choice for garden ponds. Frogs like to hide among its tangle of huge, glossy green leaves.<\/p>\n It was once known as kingcup and has an unusual structure. Curiously, its half-a- dozen or so regal golden \u2018petals\u2019 are actually sepals. Ordinarily, a flower\u2019s sepals hang low beneath the petals, which are the showiest and most colourful part of the plant \u2013 marsh marigold, however, is entirely petalless and so the sepals do the job instead.<\/p>\n Some insects seem to get all the love \u2013 bees, butterflies and dragonflies especially. Flies, not so much. But in March, there is a fly that stands out for its attractiveness and fascinating lifestyle. What\u2019s more, it is abundant and widespread through most of Britain, though no longer in Ireland for some reason. Meet the dark-edged (or large or greater) bee-fly.<\/p>\n Flies excel at many things, including pollination and parasitism. This one is superb at both. You will often hear it first \u2013 a loud hum as it hangs motionless on whirring wings, just above head height. The next thing you\u2019ll notice is its extraordinary proboscis. It is as if you are looking at a furry little ginger unicorn, though the long tongue is in fact a precision tool for extracting nectar from deep-throated flowers such as primroses, lungwort and ground-ivy, frequently while hovering.<\/p>\n Bee-flies resemble bees for a reason. The mimicry enables the female to sneak up to ground-nesting bees, particularly mining bees, so she can deftly flick her eggs towards the burrows. When the maggots hatch, they crawl inside to devour the hapless bee larvae. Look out for bee-flies \u2013 there are several species<\/a> \u2013 on sunny days in gardens and other flowery places until May. They even have their own Twitter hashtag: #BeeFlyWatch<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Britain and Ireland\u2019s avifauna is among the most closely observed on Earth, thanks to long-running studies and updates from thousands of citizen scientists. Data in the BTO\u2019s annual BirdTrends report show that 40 species of bird nest earlier than in the mid-1960s, with magpies advancing their laying date on average by 20 days. Other birds breeding substantially earlier include greenfinches, robins, great tits and swallows. Though this might help some species, in other cases it could lead to \u2018seasonal mismatch\u2019, where young no longer hatch when food is most plentiful.<\/p>\n The magpie\u2019s scientific name, Pica pica<\/em>, is an example of a tautonym<\/a>, where the genus and specific name are the same.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Roadside ditches and riverbanks are strewn with pink butterbur flowers this month. All male, they have the look of dwarf conifers, according to Richard Mabey in his epic Flora Britannica<\/em>. Less charitably, they also recall loo brushes.<\/p>\n We tend to forget that our ancestors used plants not just in cooking and medicine, but also for cleaning, dyeing, stuffing, packaging, smoking and much else. In the days before fridges, butterbur leaves, which are huge and lotus-like and appear later in the spring, served as a cool wrapper for butter and other fresh foods.<\/p>\nLesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/03\/Lesser-spotted-woodpecker.-Steve-Round-bddf7eb.jpg?quality=90&resize=310%2C413"\" "\\"\"Lesser-spotted\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Common primrose (Primula vulgaris<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
![\""Primroses\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/03\/Primroses-and-lesser-celandines.-David-Chapman-fc619a8.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Primroses\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
![\""Comma\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/03\/Comma-butterfly.-Colin-Varndell-5ec5400.jpg?quality=90&resize=616%2C413"\" "\\"\"Comma\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Learn more about butterflies:<\/h4>\n
Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
![\""Close-up\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/03\/Marsh-marigold.-Laurie-Campbell-2689417.jpg?quality=90&resize=275%2C413"\" "\\"\"Marsh\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Dark-edged bee-fly<\/a>\u00a0(Bombylius major<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
![\""Dark-edged\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2020\/02\/Dark-edged-bee-fly.-Paul-Hobson-686c9d0.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Dark-edged\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Learn more about pollinating insects:\u00a0<\/h4>\n
Eurasian magpie (Pica pica<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
![\""Eurasian\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2020\/02\/Magpie.-David-Tipling-e41e181-1.jpg?quality=90&resize=614%2C413"\" "\\"\"Eurasian\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Learn more about corvids:\u00a0<\/h4>\n
Butterbur (Petasites hybridus<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
![\""Butterbur\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/03\/Butterbur.-Laurie-Campbell-fc9689e.jpg?quality=90&resize=281%2C413"\" "\\"\"Butterbur\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita<\/em>)<\/h3>\n