Spring: Changing of the seasons at Panshanger Park

In March's monthly column, Panshanger Park People and Wildlife Officer Jo Whitaker looks at the changing of the seasons.

The last few weeks have definitely started to feel a bit more spring-like with longer daylight hours, trees starting to come into bud with leaves, and birds heralding this change of seasons with their songs.

The move from winter into spring seems one of the biggest changes between seasons. Lots of creatures are on the move. Some moving only relatively small distances and other monumental journeys across continents.

By March, the majority of our winter bird migrants have quietly and without any fuss, set off back to their summer breeding grounds to establish their territories and find a mate.

This means that areas of Panshanger Park, such as the lakes, have become quieter with many of the duck species having headed off back to Northern and Eastern Europe.

However, as our winter migrants are leaving, others are on their way to the UK to their own summer breeding sites.

Reed warblers, amongst other warbler species, are one such bird. They tend to be found in lowland wetland areas such as the dragonfly ponds at Panshanger Park.

An unexpected challenge for these little birds is parasitism of their nests by cuckoos — also a summer migrant to the UK.

Both these species spend the winter in Africa, as far south as below the Sahara Desert, and each year make the long journey up to the UK to breed. 

In Panshanger with the milder weather over the last week or so, bumblebees have been emerging and starting to look for a home to start their colony for this year.

You may have seen the large queen bees investigating holes in the ground, tussocky grass and even bird boxes for this purpose.

Also making their way through Panshanger now are the amphibians. Having spent the winter nicely sheltered in the woods under a handy log pile or similar, they are now moving steadily towards the water to breed and to lay their eggs.

Smooth newts leave the woods in spring (Image: Margaret Holland)

With only little legs, and generally more elegant at moving in water, they can move a surprising distance if required to — the furthest a great crested newt has been observed to travel is 1.3km! Although on average this would be under 400m for a smooth newt.

When visiting Panshanger Park this month why not spare a thought for all the busy creatures on their journeys this spring.

You might even see evidence of the success of these journeys by spotting frogspawn in the ponds or perhaps hearing the vibrant trill of one of our summer visitors.

Jo Whitaker is the Panshanger Park People and Wildlife Officer.
She works for Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and her role is funded by Tarmac.