April derives its name from the Latin “aperire”, a word that described the opening of the leaf and April is certainly turning green with the leaves coming out. March was a mixed month with cold weather at the start and some rainy days and some warm days with one Saturday that felt like a hot summer’s day. There has not been enough rain and there is talk of hose-pipe restrictions if there is not enough rain. So let’s hope we get the traditional April showers so that the crops in the fields and the wildlife in the woods and meadows don’t suffer from droughts later in the year.

Already I have seen a number of species of butterfly like the yellow Brimstone taking advantage of the warmer weather. Hedgehogs are out of winter hibernation and badgers are active digging up the ground looking for worms and insects. I have heard a number of Chiffchaffs singing in woodland and seen Skylarks rising in the air whilst singing on the downs. It feels like spring is at last upon us. The farmers have been busy ploughing and harrowing their fields. Many varieties of flowers have come out into bloom. In addition, many varieties of insects can be seen flying around and a large number of nest-building birds, which are themselves feeding on the insects. There are also still a few over-wintering Redwing and Fieldfare in flocks taking advantage of the spring harvest before they move on. As one door shuts another opens with the arrival of the Swallow and the Cuckoo. 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 otherwise erosion and pollution can become a problem, especially close to water systems.

Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major)

Birds are already looking for nest-building material and many have already started building their nests. One of the noisiest nest builders at this time of year are woodpeckers and you may hear the drumming of their beaks as they peck out suitable holes, in old trees that they will nest in. There are three species, the Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis), the Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major) and the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor). The last of these is very rarely seen in gardens, as it is a shy bird that prefers old woodland. However, the other two species can be seen feeding from the bird table. The Greater Spotted Woodpecker has a great liking for peanuts probably because the taste is similar to the pine kernels they usually feed on. Their menu does not just stop with nuts they eat insects, grubs, and even young birds when the fancy takes them. They are the most widespread species of woodpecker found in this country.

Mute Swans (Cygnus olor)

Out on the ponds and lakes you may see Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) courting. This bird certainly is not mute when it is angry about something and that is more often than not! Mute Swans can be extremely quarrelsome and are often seen bullying the smaller birds on the water showing that they are the bosses. They choose slow-flowing water habitats to build their nests with lots of aquatic vegetation to feed their young cygnets on. If it is a good year, they should be able to bring to adulthood from 5 to 7 cygnets - that is if they don’t get caught by foxes or get run down by fast motorists.

The Common Frog (Rana temporaria)

Around the pond edges, you may find some frogspawn. The Common Frog (Rana temporaria) numbers have been reducing over the last twenty years or so, especially in the countryside. However, for some reason they do seem to be doing well in towns where there are a great number of small ponds.

In ponds, you may be lucky to see a Great Pond Snail (Lymnaea stagnalis). They are the largest of the fresh water snails to be found in the country. They feed on organic debris, algae, small fish eggs and frogspawn. They are closely related to the land snails in that they can obtain oxygen from the air using a simple lung. However, they can breath by absorbing oxygen by diffusion like most other water snails as well. They are hermaphrodites and so can multiply without a mate. They will lay around 500 eggs in a batch and their young hatch as miniature replicas of the adult. They tend to do better in hard water areas because that helps them absorb the calcium they need for their shells.

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)

A yellow flower that you can see on pond edges and beside streams is the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris). This species has dark green shiny heart-shaped leaves. It is also known as "King Cups" because the old English name for button was "cop" and the flower resembled the kings buttons.

Another wet-loving plant to look out for is Pond Water-crowfoot (Ranunculus peltatus). This white flower, with a an egg yolk yellow centre, can be found in a wide range of wetland habitats that vary from slow-flowing streams and rivers to ponds, shallow lakes, ditches and coastal lagoons. However, it can be confused with the Common Water-crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis) which likes the same habitats.

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)

One of the commonest flowers to look out for this month has to be Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria). This yellow flowering plant loves the sun which if you look closely at a single flower it tries to copy. William Wordsworth admired this plant and wrote a poem to describe its nature:

There is a flower, the lesser Celandine
That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain
And, the first moment that the sun may shine
Bright as the sun himself, tis out again!

In the past the plant was collected for its juice to make an ointment that was used to calm piles. For this reason it was often referred to as “Pilewort”.

Next month is May and there will be more light, more warmth and mo