IT'S April Fool’s Day, so if you’re the mischievous type you've probably thought of creative ways to trick your friends and family.

Among our local wildlife are some of the best tricksters around.

While we don’t recommend you take inspiration from these sneaky species (you’d almost certainly end up in court) you may be interested to know some of the ingenious methods they employ to deceive their predators and prey.

CUCKOOS

Cuckoos are migratory birds, arriving in Britain around April and heralding the start of spring with their signature ‘cuck-oo’ call.

To us this bird is a welcome harbinger of the new season, but to the birds that share its habitat the cuckoo signals something far more insidious (not that they’d know).

Adult cuckoos are ‘brood-parasites’, meaning they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests to fool them into raising their young for them. Once the cuckoo chick hatches it pushes the other eggs out of the nest, so the poor, deluded mother bird has only her oversized imposter to feed.

Dunnocks, meadow pipits and reed warblers are common victims of this ‘cuckolding’ behaviour. Any time now cuckoos should be arriving at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Fishlake Meadows nature reserve near Romsey.

BEE ORCHIDS

The bee orchid is a master of mimicry and has evolved to look like its main pollinator – the longhorn bee. This draws in amorous bees looking to find a mate, and when they land on the flower the pollen is transferred.

This is a wonderfully efficient system for the orchid, but the bee is invariably disappointed.

Bizarrely, longhorn bees are rarely found in the UK so the bee orchids here appear to be self-pollinated. The bee orchid is at its best in parched, sunny habitats and can be abundant where the ground has been disturbed. They can also be found on Noar Hill, Farlington Marshes and Blashford Lakes nature reserves.

PEACOCK BUTTERFLIES

Peacock butterflies are a striking and unmistakeable species, easily identifiable by the blue and yellow markings on their wings.

To potential predators these markings look like two large eyes, making the butterfly appear far more threatening than it really is.

Conversely, when its wings are closed, the peacock butterfly takes on the appearance of a dead leaf – a protective and highly effective camouflage.

Peacock butterflies are widespread across the UK and at their most abundant in the summer months.