As we emerge from winter into the longer, brighter days of spring, the nation's forests provide a feast for your senses. Head outside in the sunshine and explore the sights, sounds and smells of spring. Read on to discover some of the top things to look out for on your spring adventures in the forest.
Colourful wildflowers on the forest floor
Spring transforms woodlands into a carpet of colourful wildflowers, from primrose and lesser celandine to wood anemone and bluebells.
Wood anemones are among the first to bloom. Their white star-shaped flowers track the sun as they spread through ancient woodlands. Later in spring, native bluebells take over the forest floor, providing a blanket of colour and a sweet scent on the breeze.
And it's not just flowers that brighten up the ground. Look down as you walk and keep an eye out for fern fronds coiling open and fresh green shoots pushing up through winter's leaf litter.
The unmistakeable smell of wild garlic
Take a deep breath and fill your nostrils with the heady smell of wild garlic. This plant loves damp, shady spots and is another good indicator of ancient woodland.
Green foliage, long pointed leaves and sprays of white flowers mark this wonderful plant, which is an important food source for spring's wildlife.
Catkins and spring textures
Before budding leaves burst into life, some tree species signal the coming of spring with fluffy, dangling catkins.
Look out for:
- hazel catkins (lamb's tails), turning gold as they shed pollen.
- silvery willow catkins (pussy willow), a favourite of spring bees.
- purple alder catkins, hanging low near water.
Spring budburst and bright new leaves
Tree buds remain dormant through winter, but the spring sunlight triggers the ‘budbreak’. Buds contain a cell that is sensitive to light, so as the days get brighter and longer it detects when there is enough daylight for the leaves to survive.
The new leaves contain a green pigment called chlorophyll. This helps trees to absorb the energy of the sun, changing carbon dioxide and water into sugars which feed the tree.
For the first few weeks of life, newly unfurled leaves almost glow a fresh, lime green and can appear nearly see-through in the low spring sunlight.
Woodland wildlife emerges
Bumblebees begin their buzzing in spring, as the queens emerge from hibernation in March and April on their search for nectar.
Butterflies to look out for in spring are the brimstone, comma, peacock, small tortoiseshell and red admiral. These species overwinter as adults, so you may spot them fluttering about in woodlands in early spring.
Ponds fill with frogs looking to mate and lay frogspawn in the spring months. These jelly-like eggs are connected in clumps, and contain the beginnings of new life.
Spring birdsong and the dawn chorus
Close your eyes in the forest and listen to the canopy above. How many different calls can you hear? Chiffchaffs are a tell-tale sign of spring, arriving with their "chiff-chaff chiff-chaff" call.
Alongside the chiffchaff, keep your eyes (and ears) open for blackcaps singing from thickets, and swooping swallows and house martins looking for insects over forest rides and clearings.
The sound of the dawn chorus is a real joy of spring. Peaking in May, birds will sing loudly to defend their territory and to attract a mate. The best time to enjoy this phenomenon is before sunrise on a clear day with low winds.
Nest building and courtship
Singing isn't the only sign of spring that our feathered friends show. They're also busy showing off for their mates and preparing nests for their young.
Look out for birds carrying nesting materials, such as moss, twigs and feathers, and ferrying to and from their nesting spots. As mating pairs form, aerial displays of short paired flights and posturing are a joy to see.
