Spring appears to be here at last with some significantly warmer weather in the second half of March. Together with the rise in temperature, there have been several signs of life amongst the animals in the garden. Our resident Blue Tits have been visiting our nest box carrying pieces of vegetation to build their nest with the female carrying out virtually all of the nest building. One of our commonest birds in this country and probably the most likely to breed in your garden, it is definitely worth putting up a nest box for this species as their traditional nest site (holes in trees) seem to be in rather short supply these days. They will be laying a clutch of 8 to 10 eggs probably around in late April or early May and the eggs will hatch about 2 weeks later. Although Blue Tits feed enthusiastically on suet, peanuts and sunflower seeds during the winter, the young are fed exclusively on invertebrates, with each chick eating around 100 caterpillars a day. A clutch of 10 chicks would need around 1,000 caterpillars a day for 14 days – a monumental task for the adult birds.

One of the sounds that herald spring in the garden is the croaking of Frogs in the pond, which began on March 20th in our garden. The male frogs croak to attract a mate and even small ponds can contain a dozen or more males producing a surprising cacophony of sounds. They catch flies, slugs, snails and worms – relying on their long, sticky tongues – so they are a gardener’s friend. When the male selects a female, they remain together until she lays a clump of up to 2,000 eggs encased in jelly. The eggs will hatch in around 3 weeks and the resulting tadpoles will feed on algae for 3-4 months, losing their tails and growing legs before emerging from the pond as froglets. Although they are found throughout the country, frog numbers have declined dramatically due to filling in of the ponds they rely on for breeding.

It is always a delight to see the first butterflies of the year. A Comma was the first one in my garden towards the end of March, quickly followed by Brimstone, Peacock and Red Admiral. These species overwinter as adults whereas most species spend the cold weather as caterpillars in a dormant state similar to hibernation. The overwintering adults usually shelter in outbuildings or dense vegetation, venturing outside during warmer spells; however, the lack of flowers (and nectar, that they require for energy) during the winter usually encourages them to return to a suitable hideout. At this time of year the spring flowers allow them to feed and mate as soon as the temperature is suitable. In contrast, the butterflies overwintering as caterpillars will not emerge as adults and breed until later in the year.

It is relatively easy to enhance your spring garden by supplying a suitable habitat for these delightful animals. A suitable nest box attached to a tree or out-building on the north side (to avoid overheating during the summer) will almost certainly attract Blue Tits, rewarding you with the spectacle of nest building and watching the fledging of the young. Even a small pond will usually provide a breeding site for Frogs (or Newts or Toads) allowing you to watch them metamorphose from tadpoles to adults – something that has fascinated all of my grandchildren over the years. Providing a suitable space for butterflies during winter, and spring flowers for when they become active again, will allow you to appreciate these jewels at a time when there is not much animal life around. At a time when virtually all animals are becoming less common due to habitat loss anything you can do to offer them a life line will reward you in so many ways.