SPRING is one of the best times to visit national Trust woodlands, writes Malachy Martin, national Trust Conservation Ranger in Co Fermanagh.
At this time of year the ground beneath the oaks is a carpet of wildflowers and herbs, all competing for light before the leaves in the canopy thicken up.
The woods are filled with birdsong at the beginning of the breeding season as the males are claiming their breeding territories. Resident robins, blackbirds, thrushes and wrens are joined by migrant warblers such as chiffchaffs, blackcaps and willow warblers.
After the cuckoo the chiffchaff is perhaps the most identifiable as its song is a repetition of its name.
Butterflies will start to appear and spring caterpillars are a vital food source for breeding birds such as the blue tit, which time their nesting season to coincide with the caterpillar glut.
Ponds become noisy places as the male frogs wake up from their winter hibernation and croak to attract females from their winter quarters on land. There is a good pond at Florence Court to visit and if you are lucky enough and time it just right you may witness the splashing activity as mating frogs fill the water with masses of spawn.
Over at Crom, on the shores of Lough erne, the bird to listen out for is the Grey Heron. They are often seen standing still in the shallow waters of lakes, rivers and ponds, patiently waiting for a tasty fish to pass. They nest in tall trees with other herons to form a heronry. Also at Crom, swallows, house martins and swifts return in mid spring after spending the winter in warmer climes. And it very important for bats and they return to their maternity roots in late spring.
It's time to get outdoors and experience all that spring has to offer.
* See nationaltrust.org.uk.