In the latest instalment of her monthly series for Bloom in Doom, Rebecca Gibson shares some of the British wildlife highlights that you can look out for during March.

Birds

Gannets are Britain’s largest seabird and even at a distance they’re easy to distinguish from gulls by their sheer size and their obvious black wingtips. This dark pigment actually helps the birds to fly by adding weight and therefore strength to the ends of the wings. Gannets spend several months of the year at sea and return to their coastal colonies from February, but in March the numbers really start to swell. They pair for life and jostle with other pairs for a good patch of nesting space on rocky cliffs.

Spots of colour are appearing in the wild landscape including the yellow flowers found on gorse and the birds that match them perfectly: yellowhammers. Their name comes from ammer, the German word for bunting. Often seen perching on the tops of hedgerows and scruffy wildflower margins, males are now singing their peculiar song. Some say it sounds like: “a little bit of bread and no cheese”. Have a listen and see if you agree!

Another classic spring sign is the sound of a chiffchaff singing its name. Many migrants travel north to Britain from south of the Sahara, but because chiffchaffs overwinter in North Africa or Iberia their journey is shorter and they usually arrive here first. Their pale brown plumage looks very similar to willow warblers but their call is unmistakable and you’ll often hear them without seeing them if they’re hidden away in the trees.

Gannet. Photo: Rebecca Gibson — **Gannet**. *Photo: Rebecca Gibson*

Mammals

The phrase “mad as a March hare” was made popular by Lewis Carroll’s whacky character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and in the month of March we really do see a usually shy animal embrace its wilder side. Found in open fields and arable farmland, brown hares start showing energetic breeding behaviour this month. There’s a misconception that boxing hares are males competing for a mate, when in fact a boxing pair consists of a female batting an unwanted male away. For your best chances of seeing them, look at sunrise or sunset.

Brown hare. Photo: Rebecca Gibson — **Brown hare.** *Photo: Rebecca Gibson*

Flora

A common sight on walks in March is the lovely daffodil, which is a trademark sign of spring and Easter. Daffodils are the official Chinese new year symbol and represent good fortune. They are also the national flower of Wales, as well as the leek, and are usually worn on St David’s Day.

Blackthorn is one of the most widespread hedgerow trees. Their flowers are usually the first to appear among hedgerows, unlike hawthorn which shows its leaves before its flowers. In the autumn you might have seen blackthorn in a different form with small, plum-like fruits called sloes.

For more writing and photography from Rebecca, visit her website.

This Month: British Wildlife in March

In the latest instalment of her monthly series for Bloom in Doom, Rebecca Gibson shares some of the British wildlife highlights that you can look out for during March.