1 - Rutland Pride MARCH 188 NEW NEW.qxp 29/01/2018 11:49 Page 87
- NATURE -
All a Flutter
Butterflies will begin to emerge during March, pollinating plants and fluttering their wings as they go... Comma Butterfly These butterflies love to bask on fenceposts, woodpile and tree trunks.
Peacock Butterfly These striking butterflies have blue and yellow ‘eyes’ on each upperwing.
Above: A brown hare enjoying a snack in a field. Opposite/Top: A peacock butterfly sits upon a blossom branch. Opposite/Bottom: A chiffchaff perches atop a branch. Opposite/Left: A common frog rests amongst the grass.
we can expect to see and hear at this time of year.
Encourage wildlife into your garden with wild plants such as bramble and nettle, which make great snacks for insects and cover for small mammals.
Lungwort is a favourite amongst long-tongued flower bees, whilst primrose, butterbur, wood anemone and lesser celandine are popular with hoverflies, solitary bees and the bee-fly.
The first queen bumblebees of the year will be sighted on warmer days during the month of March, seeking out pollen and nectar from the spring flowers now in bloom.
March is also the perfect month to spot invertebrates, such as mayfly and stonefly, in streams and ponds.
It is also amphibian breeding season and therefore lots of frogs and toads can be sighted too.
Toads can often travel long distances to find a suitable pond to breed in.
Brimstone Butterfly These pale yellow butterflies are usually seen in ones or twos.
Red Admiral Butterfly These butterflies are one of the most well-known in the UK, with unmistakable velvety black wings and red bands.
Look out for jelly-like frogspawn in ponds and ditches.
March is a truly wonderful month for nature-lovers: with the spring sunshine, the blossoming blooms, longer days and the hopeful sound of birdsong, it makes our county an absolute joy to live in. 87