ALSO LOOK OUT FOR…

MOUNTAIN BLACKBIRDS

Ring ouzels ( below) are back this month. These upland thrushes overwinter in Iberia and North Africa, although a few seem to be risking winter stays in England and Wales. Coastal hills with short turf attract the recently arrived migrants, before they head to nesting areas in Wales and the north.

BABY STEPS

The first of the year’s badger cubs should be making tentative nocturnal excursions out of their family’s sett, especially in the south. They will have been born underground in January or February, so are not yet weaned and won’t go far.

AMPHIBIAN ALERT

If while watching spawning frogs, toads or newts this spring you think you’ve seen diseased individuals, make sure to report them to Garden Wildlife Health, an excellent project run by the BTO, Froglife, RSPB and ZSL: www. gardenwildlifehealth.org

FIERY BEE

“A small, foxy-red ball of winged fuzz” is Nick Baker’s memorable description of the tawny mining bee, in his book ReWild. It’s the female that is most striking ( below), as her smart black head and legs s contrast strongly with her fiery thorax and abdomen.