MARCH

I wish I could have begun my March blog by saying, how much I'm enjoying the

warmth of Spring! Unfortunately Winter has kept a tight grip across

the country and left just about everyone feeling 'where's spring'?

Animals, birds, insects and plant life seem to be struggling on, but there's

a real desperation for new life to burst through, to awaken from their

winter sleep, for buds and blossoms to flourish and for the rise

in temperature we would all welcome.

We have certainly had a proper, whole hearted Winter in our part of the

world, not just a half hearted frost , or a wet and windy affair as

sometimes happens.

Our kids have thoroughly enjoyed sledging, snowball fights, building

numerous snow'people' and animals, and igloo creations around the

garden. As for me, I have sledged myself out, my body can't take

anymore!

We all have had paths to clear, cars to dig out, icicles to knock down

from the gutters and of course doing our best to ensure pipes

haven't frozen.

Hopefully Spring will arrive soon and its colours, smells and sounds will be

a welcome embrace as the weeks proceed. Our garden birds are

frantically feeding , and collecting nesting material , so the birds are

for sure just getting on with it. They know spring will come. We've

had new wee visitors in the garden that we haven't recorded before,

- two Bramblings, often mistaken as a chaffinch, beautiful little birds.

We had also been watching two Fieldfare, but there are now quite a

healthy number of them.

I'm glad to say we are hearing the tawny owl again every night, because

they did go worryingly quiet while the ground had a blanket of snow.

Understandably mice and bank voles would have moved about under the

snow, hidden away , making life difficult for the owls. They are

fantastic hunters, but deep snow with a hard crust on the top,

makes the catch tricky!

We've also been following badger tracks, he seems to routinely jaunt

past our front gates, though there would be barely enough room

if a car were to pass. Then he bumbles along, under our hedge

and through the field, leaving snuffly lines of upturned soil.

Well, I really hope I will be able to tell you next month that I've been

outside and not felt frozen! The days are feeling a lot longer and

brighter so we're all ready for Spring to SPRING into action.

THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP

●Why not fill one of your bird feeders with materials to provide for

birds nesting such as moss, small sticks, horse hair, sheep's wool.

It's very interesting to see what species choose.

●Continue providing food and water for the birds as many

are getting ready to nest

●Look out for blackthorn in flower, great start for insects

●Toads are just beginning to emerge

●See if you can spot some mad March hares Lastly please think about products that you bring into your home made from plastic. Recently I went food shopping and chose not to buy certain products

as they were unnecessarily wrapped in plastic. If we all did the same,

food producers might pay more attention.

At Newcastleton wildlife club we have just done our first litter pick

of the year.

Over the length of just one mile north of the village, we filled nine

big bags, and the majority of the rubbish was made from plastic.

It's a rubbish job having to pick up other people's rubbish, but be the better person and simply bin it.

The countryside will look so much better and wildlife will be safer - thanks to you.

Love nature,

see you in April