It’s a different world out there nowadays and because of the
dreaded Covid-19 virus we live by new rules with new phrases such as ‘self-isolation’,
‘social-distancing’ and ‘Book a Slot’ dictating our way of life. So no
fortnightly Lym Nats walks around our area and in the New Forest to enjoy the
unravelling of spring with its fresh green leaves and emerging flowers,
blossoms, butterflies and the arrivals of summer visitors such as Swifts,
swallows and warblers. Only a lucky few might hear or see a Cuckoo this spring.
With the sunshine we enjoyed during April winter’s bare
trees turned to green, the early white blossom of Bird Cherry, gave way to
Blackthorn, which in turn passed the baton to Hawthorn as April turned to May.
Already fledged Blackbird chicks are begging for food from their parents on
lawns and roadside verges and hopefully it won’t be long before Swifts return
to scream over Lymington.
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| Blackbird - male feeding recently fledged youngster © Chris Robinson |
Nature and wildlife continues as normal, perhaps
appreciating a quieter world and less traffic on our roads, so that perhaps
birdsong is more noticeable than before and uncut roadside verges are more
floriferous than usual. To highlight the changing seasons Lym Nats set up a
Facebook group on the internet for our members to stay in touch with one
another and to share their sightings - be it from within their gardens or
exercise walks. In many ways nature and natural history gives us something to
look for and to look forward to as the spring turns to summer.
Contributors to the Facebook group have shown us newts in
ponds, foxes in gardens, a great variety of insects, spring flowers and birds.
If you are a Lym Nats member and haven’t yet joined (apologies to anyone who
slipped through the net when it was set up) why not consider joining and
contributing? The more the merrier! RC
And here are some of the magical April moments from our Facebook pages:
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| Singing male Whitethroat © Becky Wells |
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| Mistle Thrush with food © Chris Robinson |
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| A Dunnock springs into action © Glynis Payne |
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| Male Great Spotted Woodpecker on feeder © Richard Coomber |
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| Wood Anemones and Lesser Celandines © Richard Smith |
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| Narrow-leaved Lungwort © Richard Smith |
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| Three-cornered Garlic - an invasive species © Richard Coomber |
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| Lady's Smock or Cuckooflower © Maureen Fidkin |
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| Green-winged Orchid along Woodside Lane, Lymington © Maureen Fidkin |
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| Mallard ducklings © Mary Mawdsley |
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| Orange-tip - male © Richard Coomber |
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| Garlic-mustard or Jack-by-the-hedge- a food plant of Orange-tip caterpillars © Richard Coomber |
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| Bluebells © Carol Giles |
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| Fourteen-spot Ladybird © Chris Robinson |
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| Adder © Mary Mawdsley |
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| Large Red Damselfly - mating pair © Richard Smith |
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| Honeysuckle Sawfly © Chris Robinson |
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| Early Purple Orchid © Chris Robinson |
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| Stag Beetle - male © Chris Robinson |
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| Green Alkanet © Maureen Fidkin |
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| Streamer (moth) © Richard Coomber |
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| Water Crowfoot © Richard Smith |
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| Hawthorn or May © Richard Coomber |
