BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-04)

14 BBC Wildlife April 2020

WILDAPRIL

Scuffed-upgroundis surprisingly

importantforwildlife,including

greatBritishraritiessuchassand

lizards,oilbeetles,fieldcricketsand

stonecurlews.It’sworthpaying

attentiontothosebarepatchesof

‘dirt’inyourlawnorneighbourhood

park.Onespeciesyoumightmeet

hereis theashyminingbee– the

snowleopardofbees.Femalesdig

nestburrowsclosetogether,and

theirpockmarked‘beecities’occupy

thesamespotseachyear– there’s

oneinsomescruffyroadsidegrass

neartheBBCWildlifeoffice.

FINDOUTMORE Britain’s

commonbees:bwars.com/content/

beginners-bees-wasps-and-ants

Thisregalwildflowerdoesexactly

whatit saysonthetin,andnotonly

is it oneofthefirstorchidstoappear

inspring,it’salsoamongthemost

abundantmembersofitsfamous

family.You’remostlikelytoseeit in

sunnyplacesinwoods,butit also

growsbesideroadsandongrassy

hillsides,floweringuntilJune.Its

leaveshavepurplish-brownblotches,

asif splashedwithpaint,though

thisisn’tunique– theleavesofthe

commonspottedorchid look similar.

GETINVOLVED

What’sinbloomnearyou– download

monthlywildflowerspottersheets:

plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-

plants-nature/spotter-sheets

7 |ASHYMININGBEE

Bare truths

5 |EARLYPURPLEORCHID

Purple reign

Orchid: Robert Canis/FLPA; warbler: Mark Hamblin; bee: Alex Hyde

6 |WILLOWWARBLER

Homecoming

“Itis alwaysexcitingtoseeevena

commonmigrant,likea willowwarbler,

beinga migrant,”writesnaturewriterTim

DeeinnewbookGreenery. “Birdsoutof

placegetbirdersgoing.”Willowwarblers

are,aboveall,woodlandbirds.They’re

particularlyfondofbirch-coveredhillsides,

butonspringmigrationturnuptiredand

hungryinoddlocations.InApril,you

mightheartheirglorious,cascading

songanywherefromcoaststogardens.

Upto1,000millionofthesesprites

headtoEuropefromAfrica each spring.

FINDOUTMORE The willow warbler’s

song:xeno-canto.org