Its leaves provide an important food source for wood pigeons in late winter, when other foodstuffs are scarce, and the plant itself reproduces mainly vegetatively, because it usually flowers prior to the appearance of most insect pollinators. It was poet William Wordsworth's favourite flower and is carved onto his gravestone. This bog dwelling plant supplements its nutrient intake by trapping and digesting insects, which are attracted to its bright green rosette of leaves. The leaves are coated with a mucus which traps any insects unfortunate enough to step or land on the leaf. Animal activity is also increasing as the weather warms up.
Badgers are now active at dusk, and many young badgers are leaving the sett for the first time.
Unfortunately, roadkill takes its toll on the survival rate of young badgers at this time of the year. Bat Detector' boxes which convert the bat's ultrasound signals to a frequency that is audible to humans can be used to survey bat activity and distinguish between different species. The first Swallow of the year was seen in Killarney on Easter Sunday, whilst Sand Martins are now back in numbers where they nest in sandy riverbanks and similar places. The first Cuckoo was also heard several weeks ago. Antler-less stags often feel vulnerable and will be much more secretive than at other times of the year, sometimes flattening the ears and lowering the head submissively when feeling threatened.