May 2025

We have just experienced a very dry March, and we are now experiencing an April with equal and unusual dryness and warm sunshine raising the temperature to the low 20s Celsius – warm for the time of year. The pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) tree leaves are breaking bud along with several other species, and the wildflowers are decorating the countryside. There are also a few trans-Saharan migrant birds arriving, including chiffchaffs (Phylloscopus collybita) and blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla). However, some birds of these species have been shown to stay in Britain all year recently, and I even saw a swallow (Hirundo rustica) in January this year at Pevensey Bay. During April, we should also expect to see willow warblers (Phylloscopus trochilus), common whitethroats (Curruca communis), northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe), common redstarts (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), common nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos), more swallows, western house martins (Delichon urbicum) and many others looking for places to breed and feed on what should be a seasonal abundance of insects, nectar, worms and other food types. May should bring the swifts (Apus apus). I only hope that we will have enough insects to feed them all! Eurasian cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) have become very rare in Sussex in recent years. The only place that I have found them reliably is Ashdown Forest. Also, the only local place for turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur) seems to be Knepp Castle rewilding project in West Sussex. Ashdown Forest is also the place to go to hear European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus). This is a bit of a misnomer, because this bird spends most of the year (like most of the others mentioned) in Africa. They just come to Europe to breed for about 3 months. They come for our short-term seasonal abundance of insects.

We really must do something about restoring our insect populations. We can all do small things about this, like not using insecticides, releasing succession in parts of our gardens, simply by not mowing, pruning or weeding a patch. We can make a pond or at least have a bird bath; insects will use it as well. Cultivate native species hedges rather than fences and prefer to plant and cultivate other native species such as common foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), native common poppies (Papaver rhoeas) and fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris). Planting a native British tree, or better still, let a naturally germinated tree seedling mature if it is 7 metres or more from a building. It really does work magic by bringing insects and birds into the garden. Some insects such as the seven spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) will consume unwelcome insects such as aphids (Aphidoidea). Others such as the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) pollinate flowers, necessary for them to form seeds. If you are lucky enough to get common glow-worms (Lampyris noctiluca) – not worms at all, but beetles, that hatch from eggs into larvae and mature into adult beetles. Both will eat your slugs and snails!