1. Funky mating rituals 

Spring, the season of love, is a time many animals search for mates. Some resort to elaborate dance moves to impress a suitor. 

The courtship dance of the great crested grebe is one example. See these waterbirds bob and shimmy their feathery headgear at our Whelford Pools nature reserve. 

Brown hares, meanwhile, perform boxing matches. Females throw punches to fight off eager males, and by doing so, test whether the male is strong enough be her partner.   

And don’t forget butterflies! Fluttering around in pairs, their skyborne duets are a joyful sight throughout the warmer months.  

2. Basking adders  

Adders emerge from hibernation at this time of year, and some have already been seen on our reserves. Shy and enigmatic, they are hard to spot, but you might just see them basking in the early spring sunshine. 

If you are lucky, you might also spot their mating dance as males try to attract a female. 

Although in decline in the UK, some areas of Gloucestershire are strongholds for adder populations.  

Adders are the only venomous snake in the UK, although their venom is generally of little danger to humans. If you spot one, it is important to respect them and keep a safe distance from them. Adders are shy snakes and are vulnerable to disturbance. 

3. Wildflowers  

Early to bloom is lesser celandine, a yellow star-like flower already carpeting woodlands and roadside verges. This sturdy wildflower is said to be the poet Wordsworth’s favourite.  

April is peak season for bluebells. Visit Robinswood Hill and Frith Wood to see them carpeting the woodland floor.  

In recent decades, our native bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta - also known as common bluebells or English bluebells - has been struggling, as non-native bluebells have taken over. Most gardens are dominated by the Spanish bluebell and its hybrids, but havens of native bluebell in Gloucestershire still flourish in our county’s wild places. Native bluebells are important for our ecosystems as they provide food and shelter for our native insects including bees and butterflies. The UK is a haven for the bluebell, home to 50% of the world’s population.  

4. Drumming woodpeckers 

Wander through a woodland and you might hear a repetitive, percussive sound: this is a woodpecker marking its territory, by tapping its beak against a tree trunk or branch. 

Woodpeckers like to experiment with different instruments to create the best sound. They find this in striking their beaks against hollow, dead branches. Woodlands with dead wood are therefore very important for the preservation of woodpeckers and their iconic soundtrack.  

5. Caterpillars  

Catch up on your caterpillar knowledge this spring! Learn to tell the signs of their stripes, size and textures to predict what butterflies and moths are around the corner.  

Cinnabar moth caterpillars – easily identifiable yellow and black stripes. You are likely to find them crawling around on ragwort.  

Peacock butterfly caterpillars – large, black and hairy. You might see a freshly hatched mass of these caterpillars crawling around on nettles. 

Jersey tiger moth caterpillars – in spring, they are a greyish black with a row of cream-coloured dots, with spikey ginger hairs. Can be found feeding on ground ivy and brambles. 

Comma butterfly caterpillars – hairy, speckled orange and black with an iconic white stripe on their backs. They are typically found on nettles and elm trees. 

6. Hello hedgehogs! 

It’s time for our spiky friends to wake up from hibernation. Depending on the weather, this is usually between March and April.  

These adorable staples of nighttime wildlife are in decline in the UK. Gloucestershire is a key hotspot for them, but they still need your help. 

Make your garden hedgehog friendly, by letting grass grow long; leaving behind leaf piles; and growing native plants that attract insects (hedgehogs love to snack on a beetle or two). You can also create a ‘hedgehog highway’. Hedgehogs can travel up to a mile a night. Small gaps in your fence allow them to move freely without difficulty.  

7. Bats 

Bats emerge from hibernation from April onwards. If you are outside around sunset, you might spot them darting around in the dusk. 

GWT will be offering guided bat walks throughout the year, check out the events page on our website to sign up, at www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/events. 

8. From spawn to adult  

Stay tuned with your local ponds. As most frogs and toads tend to mate in February and March, clumps of frogspawn and strings of toad spawn should already be visible. 

Watch as spawn hatches into tadpoles – and within 12 weeks, a fully grown frog or toad! 

9. Dawn chorus 

Morning soundscapes have had an upgrade, with birds returning from winters abroad and our year-round residents find more to sing about. This is the best time of year to wake up early and listen to the dawn chorus! 

It may be hard to tear yourself out of bed at such an hour, but our guided dawn chorus walks with an expert may offer you some motivation – check our events page in the coming weeks to sign up.  

10. Spring fungi 

Fungi aren’t just autumnal – they can be spotted all year round. Against the green colour palette of spring, the marvellous red of scarlet elf cups makes them easy to spot. 

Morel fungus can be seen at its best between April and May. This rare fungus has a striking appearance, and is most likely to be found in fields, woodlands and even urban areas like supermarket car parks.