Happy Easter!
What better way to celebrate half-term than getting outdoors in nature! Spring is a time for new shoots appearing on the trees, flowers beginning to bloom, bird parents busy building nests and newborn arrivals. Now that the days are getting sunnier, the Easter break is a great time to get out and have some fun and see what you can find out in nature.
(c) Steve Waterhouse
(c) Gillian Day
Between now and late summer, most birds will be building their nests and preparing to lay their eggs. The robin is one particular species that has a habit of building their nest in peculiar places. They have been known to nest in old bicycle helmets, postboxes, flower pots, car bonnets, you name it! The birds’ nests environment has an impact on what colour the eggs become. Birds that build their nests in trees and shrubs (dunnocks and blackbirds) will tend to have blue, or greenish eggs.
Hole-nesting birds, such as blue tits, will lay either white or pale blue eggs so that the parents can easily locate them. Ground nesting birds that lay their eggs out in the open will produce brown or speckled eggs for camouflage. You might be able to see a number of different bird species at any of our reserves, check out our reserve list here.
(c) Russell Savory
We all know the famous Easter Bunny; known for carrying its basket of Easter eggs to hand out to children. But did you know our famous non-fictional hare is the fastest land mammal in the country, reaching speeds of up to 40 miles per hour? Brown hares are most commonly seen on farmland, in woodland habitats and fields. They are easily seen around spring time when breeding season begins. You might find them having a boxing match in the fields; the male starts by chasing the female around in an attempt to mate, but the female will be the one to fend him off with a boxing match! Why not take a visit to our Woodside Farm where you might spot brown hares.
(c) Kayleigh Wright
Another special wildflower to see at this time of year is the bluebell and there’s nothing quite like taking a walk through a woodland and seeing a sea of blue carpeted across the woodland floor. Did you know that bluebells are an ancient woodland indicator? Various plant species can be used as an indication as to whether a woodland site has been wooded for a long amount of time. Take a trip out to Lea Wood or Crich Chase Meadows to see the spectacular display of bluebells amongst Crich Woods.
(c) Kayleigh Wright
It's certainly a real treat to see a true wild daffodil growing in the woodlands and meadows. The trick to telling the difference between the wild daffodil and their garden relatives is the pale yellow petals surrounding a darker yellow trumpet. Take a trip to our woodland nature reserve to see if you can find any wild daffodils in bloom!
If you’re in search for wild flower species why not download Peak Flora; an app created by Doug Colton, that will help you discover wild flowers of the Peak District, allowing you to track where you find them and identify them from the colour-sorted gallery. Click the links below to download!
