Dry Drayton Nature Notes - March
| March month of 'many weathers' wildly comes In hail and snow and rain and threatning hums And floods: while often at his cottage door The shepherd stands to hear the distant roar |
John Clare, The Shepherd's Calendar 1827 |
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Blue Tits can now be seen prospecting for nest sites.
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| The hosts of golden daffodils in gardens are one of the high spots of March, reflecting the early spring sunshine in their petals. |  |
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Resting on one of last autumn's fallen leaves, the Comma butterfly is one of the earliest species of the spring, coming out of hibernation to bask in the feeble warmth. Its name comes from the white underwing mark on a black background. |
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Now coming out in considerable numbers is our commonest Ladybird, the Seven Spot. A foreign invader, the Harlequin Ladybird should also be looked out for from now on. For more information go to the Harlequin Ladybird Survey site |
| March is the traditional month, at least in Cambridgeshire, for frogs to spawn. This year the variable weather seemed to compress spawning into just two days. |  |
Photos and text by Val Perrin.