What you can see this Month: April 2022
If you go down to the woods today…. you might be in for a wonderful display of bluebells or if you are really lucky, some owlets. April is the season for bluebells and they are best seen en masse. If you follow this link to Secret London, they have kindly put together a helpful guide to a few places around London to visit where you can see carpets of bluebells in woodland, including one of my favourites, Kew Gardens.
A carpet of bluebells in the woods at Headley, Surrey
On your visits to these woodlands, do keep your eye out for young owls, as this is the time they fledge. And if you look before there are too many leaves on the trees (that may obscure your view) you can sometimes see them snuggled in the tree canopy (see below).
Amongst the other things to look out for this month are the beautiful array of butterflies we have in this country and of those, the Orange Tip (far left above) and Brimstone in particular. The Orange Tip is well named but see if you spot its underwing (centre), which can be equally stunning. They feed on early-flowering plants, such as Green Alkanet (above). A gardeners pest it might be but this blue beauty is a saviour not only for butterflies but for bees too.
Other flowers to look out for this month would be the majestic Snakes-Head Fritillary (above), which are thankfully becoming more common. There’s currently a wonderful display around Barnes Pond and several patches can be found at The London Wetland Centre, as well as more established places such as Kew Gardens. Of course, this is also a month when you can see many streets lined with blossom.
Great Crested Grebes photographed for the book, Wild about The Wetlands, A Year in the Life of The London Wetland Centre by Andrew Wilson.
April is the month when the bird world really comes alive and the singing amongst the trees and shrubs reaches a crescendo as they all try and call for a mate and set about nesting. With climate change, this starts earlier and earlier each year, especially in London. When The London Wetland Centre re-opened last April after the third lockdown, it was clear that in our absence the birds had already started having their first broods, especially the water birds. One of the more spectacular mating displays and one of my favorites is the Great Crested Grebe. Although rarer than some birds and extremely territorial, you can find pairs on rivers and lakes and if you have a little patience (and are willing to get up early) you might be rewarded by witnessing their wonderful mating rituals, involving much head bobbing and finally the exchanging of gifts in the form of weed.
And finally, you might be lucky enough to see the arrival of some cygnets, which is always a highlight on Barnes Pond, some even hitch a ride on their mothers back.
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Cygnets hitching a ride, Barnes Pond, SW13