March on the League Against Cruel Sports’ wildlife reserves

Paul Tillsley, head of conservation and education, at the League Against Cruel Sports

As I walk down the track into the heart of the League Against Cruel Sports’ Baronsdown wildlife reserve, I am serenaded by the blissful call of a song thrush sat high in the treetops above me. His melodious song cuts through the still air, as he proclaims to the world that spring is on its way, and nothing can stop it.

All around me life is breaking out after the seemingly endless cold, dull days of winter. The snowdrops are fading, but they have been replaced by banks of creamy yellow primroses and patches of nodding golden daffodils, a reminder of the grand country estate that was once here.

Oak trees are slow to join the spring party, they prefer to stand stately by and bide their time, but hazel has been displaying its catkins for a while now and the normally unassuming goat willow is covered in a fluffy flourish of flowers. The blossom of blackthorn bushes has burst forth too and provides an irresistible treat for insects, including bumblebees that bumble impossibly from flower to flower. Sadly, most of our insect species are in serious decline, so every bit of help we can give them is a bonus.

Chiffchaffs are the first of the summer migratory birds to return to the reserves and they have already started their monotonous ‘chiffchaff’ calls from the undergrowth. Soon they will be followed by their cousins the willow warblers, with their altogether more exuberant song, and with a bit of luck the rattling notes of wood warblers will shortly be ringing out in the woods.

Red deer on the wildlife reserves are losing their drab winter coats and replacing them with the rich red pelage that gives them their name, leaving big tufts of hair on the ground that are instantly recycled into bird nests. Older stags are dropping their antlers now, and they will take advantage of the sudden abundance of food to start growing a new pair almost instantly. Occasionally, we find an odd cast antler on the wildlife reserves, but frustratingly we rarely find a pair.

Foxes caught on camera taking food back to their earths are a clear sign that they have cubs underground and before too long we can expect to see the first youngsters venturing out to explore the world around them.

Getting out in nature at this time of year is a great way to shake off the winter blues and spending just a few minutes a day connecting to the natural environment has been shown to greatly improve our mental health, so why not give yourself a treat.