Spring and a bit of Mutualism

Saturday the 7^th March was the first warm sunny day of the year. Our plan was to have a morning walk around the city looking of some signs of spring. I gave the camera to my Daughter and we set off along the canal towards the River Severn and Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve.

Chapter Meadow - Worcester

Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve is an area to the south of Diglis in the centre of Worcester. It was once a landfill site and has now been handed back to nature. It can be amazing what turns up. On this trip we spotted 29 species of bird and 2 species of butterfly, the Brimstone and Peacock (this photo was taken approximately a year ago in Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve). 

Peacock Butterfly

However, the wildlife that got us excited was the Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) often one of the first wild flower to be seen each year and a real harbinger of spring. It has evolved to flower early to take advantage of the lack of competition from other flowers and the presence of some early pollinators. As it is a low-growing plant it will also take advantage of the lack of vegetation in general. It has bright yellow flowers and it is quite beautiful to see on these early spring days. It give hope of an exciting spring ahead.

Lesser Celandine

In order for a plant to be successful it obviously needs a pollinator. The flowers are there to first attract the pollinator and then carry out the job of reproduction. Hence our second species of the day, the Tree Bumblebee.

Tree Bumblebee

The Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) is a relatively new species that has colonised Britain in the last 15 years. It has done this under its own steam. Due to its colonisation being natural, the fact that is does not seem to be affecting native species and that it is a useful pollinator, conservationists do not see it as a problem. Clearly early flowering plants are benefiting from its arrival. Without the early flowers present there would be no food for the bees, and, the flowers need the bees to pollinate them. I love this simple example of mutualism and the way it underpins our natural world. No single species can survive in isolation. They all fit together in a complex web of life. When we start removing them we start to see problems and if we remove the wrong ones the whole structure will crumble.

Daisy 

Lichen