I have seen Hedgehogs out of winter hibernation and heard Chiffchaffs singing and seen yellow brimstone butterflies taking advantage of the warmer weather. Spring is at last upon us.

Towards the end of March we had some typical rain showers more associated with the month of April. However, we have had some very warm spring days too. The farmers have been busy ploughing and harrowing their fields. With the warmer weather many crops have started to appear above the ground. The grass is growing quickly which is good news for the grazing animals. However, if it does become a wet month then it is a good idea not to over stock the fields or else erosion and pollution can become a problem, especially close to water systems.

April derives its name from the Latin "aperire", a word that described the opening of the leaf. In pagan times the rebirth of nature was celebrated by honouring the goddess "Eostre". Centuries later Christian missionaries substituted the ideals of the resurrection of mankind, renaming the festival Easter.

Moschatel (Adoxa moschatellina)

Many varieties of flowers have come out and with them many varieties of insects and in turn many nest-building birds, which are feeding on the insects. If you wander through woodland at this time of year you may be lucky to see yellow Wild Daffodils or white Wood Anemones. However if you look a little harder you may see the much over looked flower called Moschatel (Adoxa moschatellina). The name Moschatel refers to the mild musk-like scent it gives off. The Greek name "adoxa" means "without glory" and this refers to the fact it is almost completely green in colour and blends in with the early spring green foliage usually unseen and not noticed. It also has the other name of "Town hall clock" because of the resemblance of this plant having flowers on four sides like a town hall clock but with the added extra flower or "clock face" on the top, making it have the total of five flowers per stem. It is a very unusual plant and well worth a closer inspection, if you find one.

Colts-foot (Tussilago farfara)

A more distinctive plant to see is the yellow flowered Colts-foot (Tussilago farfara) which is often found on waste ground. The name Colts-foot derives its name from the leaves resembling the shape of a horse's hoof. It is an unusual plant in that it produces its flowers before its leaves appear and has been given the country name "Son-before-father". The Greek name "Tussilago" means "a cough" and this refers to the fact that the leaves have long been used in medicine to help with coughs and asthma. It gained another country name "Poor mans tobacco" because the leaves were dried and then smoked as a cheap source of tobacco with an additional property of helping ones breathing, which seems a bit strange nowadays with the problems we associate with smoking and breathing.

Barren Strawberry (Potentilla sterilis)

A white flowered plant to look out for is Barren Strawberry (Potentilla sterilis) at this time of year. On initially looking at this plant it does look very much like Wild Strawberry flowers but it has wider gaps between the petals. Also the Wild Strawberry flowers generally later in the year and also produces small strawberry fruits where as the Barren Strawberry doesn't as referred to in its name. It is not a member of the Strawberry family but a relative of the "Potentilla" family with the Cinquefoils, Tormentil and Silverweed. It is however a good early source of nectar for insects.

Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

A large stemmed plant with pale yellow flowers to look out for around in April, is Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum). This plant is more commonly associated withliving by the sea and it is common where the South Downs meets the sea at Seven Sisters Country Park. However, this flower can be found growing on the Downs and north of the Downs within a few miles of the sea. The best places to look for it away from the sea is beside roads, especially where salt has been stored during winter for icing the roads. The name "Alexanders" refers to the country Macedonia where the plant is more commonly found - it was the birth country of "Alexander the Great". The roots of this plant have been cooked like parsnips, the leaves used in salads and the black seeds have been used to prevent flatulence. The generic name "Smyrnium" is from the Greek word for myrrh, which this plant tastes like.

Rook (Corvus frugilegus)

At this time of year there is a hive of activity where ever you go, with birds singing and building nests and the most easily seen nests are those of the Rook (Corvus frugilegus). Rooks are sociable and nest closely together and can be very noisy. They congregate in breeding colonies high up in treetops before the leaves come out. These nest sites are known as "Rookeries".

Rookeries

They prefer to live near pasture fields rather than ploughed up areas because they can find more of their favourite food there, which is a diet of leather jackets and wireworms. The female Rook builds the nest and lays the eggs whilst the male fetches the twigs, mud, mosses and other building materials and helps with feeding the young later in the year.

Another creature that takes advantage of the warmer weather and feeds on small insects and spiders is the Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara). To be able to feed, these cold blooded reptiles need to warm up in the heat of the sun to bring their temperature up, so they can use their muscles to move.

Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara)

On these early days of spring they need to bask a lot, however, by mid-summer they need little time to bask. By the time winter comes around again it is too cold for them and they need to hibernate. The Common Lizard can be found in many habitats where they can warm up easily so they prefer walls, sunny-banks and heathland. April is the month when they court and mate. The young will be born around mid summer in a few months time. They are predated on by rats, snakes and birds especially Kestrels. They have three main ways to prevent being caught. The first is they are generally sandy brown in colour and this is a very good camouflage colour. Secondly, they can run very fast, once they are warmed up and lastly they can shed their tail which will start to twitch and wriggle once dropped and hopefully divert the predators attention long enough for the lizard to make a successful escape.

Next month is May and there will be more light, more warmth and more to talk about.