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It’s that time of year again when nature goes a little crazy. The birds sing till it hurts our ears, the hares box and the squirrels dance in the tree tops. IT’S SPRING!! As the weather starts to lift, the winter depression starts to lift. The heat from the spring sun warms the earth and encourages life to return. The insects start to reappear after their long session of suspended animation. This comes as a great relief to many of the small birds visiting our gardens. This natural food supply is important to these creatures as it in turn kick starts the breeding season. As the insect numbers start to increase, the birds get broody. The males begin declaring their territory with some of the most beautiful songs, although you may not agree at 4.30am!! The females will select a mate from the one with the best territory and strongest presence. Other animals are feeling the rise in temperature also. The ‘Mad Hatters’ of the animal world, the hares, can be seen standing on their back legs and boxing each other in a bid to attract and secure females. If you visit a local pond listen for the repeated rumble type sound. If you watch the water, slowly you will be able to make out the shapes of little eyes staring up from the surface. Guess what? The common frog.

The males will call and the females will join them, mate, lay eggs then disappear as quickly as they appeared. There are, too, many beautiful species of wildflowers and plants that come into their own at Spring. The most common of these is the Primrose. The un-mistakable smell of garlic drifts across many forest floors as Ramsons are shooting up to the spring sunshine. Bluebells and Dog Violets give that eye-catching purple colour to the woods and hedgerows. Why not grab a wildlife guide and head out for a spring wildlife walk. See what you can find. It’s worth it! One morning the care line phone rang and Vicki answered with the usual ‘Hello, TACT Wildlife Centre?’ The caller explained she wanted to organise an Educational visit in relation to an EMU project. At this point, Vicki told her that the education staff would not be able to do talks on Emus as we are a native wildlife Centre but they might suggest someone who can. Immediately the caller on the line went into fits of laughter, as did Patricia who overheard the call. It was explained to Vicki the reason for the laughter. EMU stands for ‘Education for Mutual Understanding.’ Everyone had a good chuckle. A laugh a day keeps the Doctor (or Vet) away, after all!

‘Hi, Woody here! I just can’t keep a secret! Want to know what it is? Badgers are a member of the weasel family! Yes, those tiny 9 or 10 cm long brown mouse like animals are cousins of our large 3ft long badgers! Badgers, although they prefer peanuts, roots, grubs and worms, will also eat meat, if they can catch it that is! 21^st-22^nd April 07: Belfast Spring Fair 26^th May 07: Foxy Friends Carnfunnock Country Park, 2.30pm 1^st - 4^th June: Dublin House and Garden Show We will also be attending various events across the province over the summer. If you see us come over and say hello! Please contact us for further information: Tel: 028 9445 9739 E-mail: tactwildlife@btinternet.com At any one time our family could total 350. All receive: Tender Loving Care All receive: Feeding All receive: Housing Many receive: Veterinary Attention You can help by – Giving a donation. Sponsoring a resident animal Completing a tax declaration - Effective giving to Charity Remembering us in your will Hold a car boot sale, fun day, sponsored event i.e. carwash, sponsored walk / dog walk, cake sale etc. If you would like to organise a fundraising event then contact us to get more information. Tel: 028 9445 9739 or debbie_tacteducation@yahoo.co.uk