The welcome new season is all around us, says the RSPB's Luke Phillips

Winter’s hardly over but at the RSPB’s Weymouth Wetlands nature reserves, spring is certainly showing signs of starting.

Before living in Weymouth I lived on the edge of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales where I would imagine spring certainly isn’t on the minds of anyone who lives there, but here on the south coast things seem to happen a little quicker.

Bird song is a real harbinger of spring for most but it can be a little scarcer at Radipole Lake and Lodmoor when compared with say, Dorset woodlands. Most of our songsters are still in Africa or at least just starting their long journey.

For signs of spring we look to our plants and trees for reassurance that warmer days are on their way. We are very lucky to have many volunteers at the nature reserves, one of whom spends her Fridays searching the reserves for flora. Recently she has noticed the vibrant green leaves of hawthorn and the stunning white flowers of blackthorn.

The buttercup-like flower of the Lesser Celandine has also started appearing which is adding much needed colour to our reserves. Another splash of colour at this time of year comes from the Sweet Violet.

They say you learn something new every day and last time Naomi (our Friday botanist) was in I certainly did. Apparently the sweet violet’s scent contains a chemical called ionine which has the power to deaden smell receptors. So in theory you might struggle to smell a Violet twice! Bet you didn’t know that?

Our visitor centre at Radipole Lake is now back up and running where you can call in to find out the latest springtime events; or if you’re struggling to get the energy to venture outdoors in this grey wintry weather (unless it’s sunny when you read this…) then visit our blog which is sure to cheer you up.

You can find it at rspb.org.uk/weymouthwetlandsblog.

Top things to do this season

  • 1. Watch out for returning migrants just arrived in the UK, like swallows and martins, getting their first food over British soil as they swoop and swerve over the reedbeds
  • 2. Listen to the reserve coming to life as the reedbeds start to fill with the reeling song of warblers (pictured above) and the squealing calls of water rails, the bushes fill with birdsong and the water’s edge is filled with the tiny ringing calls of the teal
  • 3. Look for rarer plants, such as orchids, amongst the path borders splashed with the multi-coloured wonder of our spring flowers and the new green shoots of the reeds themselves, which will be two metres high in just a few weeks!