Season’s Greetings: Animal Affairs

By ROWAN LANNING Ecologist, IRD Duhallow

Spring is a time of waking from winter’s rest for those of our animal neighbours who spent the cold months hibernating, a time of return for those migratory birds who spent the cold months abroad in warmer climates, and a time of hustle and bustle for all of the animals who are out and about – especially as more and more food returns and babies start to be born! One of the earliest signs of spring in the affairs of animals is the sight of ponds and puddles filled with frogspawn! Many frogs and toads hibernate during the winter, but their eggs are one of the heralds of spring – appearing as early as January though more commonly closer to the end of March and beginning of April. With the return of flowering plants and trees, buzzing bees may also be seen (or heard, especially when many of them come to feed from a patch of flowers or from the buds of trees), along with many other insects like beetles and butterflies. Spring is a particularly busy time for birds, as it is the primary time for mating, nesting, and the laying of eggs. Birds sing for many reasons, whether warning of predators or simply catching up on the latest gossip, and the increase in birdsong come March is often the singing of love songs as our bird neighbours seek out their mating partners. If you’re lucky enough to lay eyes on a bird’s nest, make sure that you don’t get too close or touch it at all! Simply observe from a distance and enjoy the sound of hungry chicks waiting for their next meal.

A Dunnock feeds her newly hatched chicks. They nest from March through to June and breed mainly in hedgerows with nests of moss and dead grasses –one of the reasons that hedge cutting must cease by the end of February to avoid harming or disturbing the birds that nest there. (photo credit: Shutterstock)

Proud parents with their frogspawn who will eventually hatch into tadpoles before growing into frogs (photo credit: Moment / Getty images)