Cuckoos, Cowslips and Cannibals

It's unmistakable; it's the call of the cuckoo, so spring must be here - yippee! It's rare to get a glimpse of this parasitic bird, but once heard, it's never forgotten. You're most likely to hear the males calling towards the end of this month. The dove-sized females lay their eggs in the nests of tiny birds such as dunnocks or reed warblers, then the poor parents end up feeding this one, monster-sized chick!
The cowslip flower was once a common site, but changes in grassland management and urban development have reduced it to only a few sites in Hull. Like a tall primrose, this pretty flower is more often found in garden lawns, where local residents have helped to increase its population, which is also a priority in Hull's Local Biodiversity Action Plan.
If you see an unmown strip of grass later in the year, remember, it may be a wild-flower habitat helping to increase this plant and many wild flowers that have been lost elsewhere.
Coming to our final 'c', it is the orange-tip butterfly caterpillar. Only the adult males have orange tips to their wings, which warn predators that they are very distasteful.
Females will be laying single eggs on hedge garlic plants this month and the reason they are not in clusters is that when the caterpillars hatch next month, they will cannibalise each other if they have to compete for food!
So, what with chick-killing cuckoos, cannibalising caterpillars, the cowslip seems to be the best option on your next visit to the garden centre!