My walk at Stanwick Lakes today tells me that it's early spring. And of course there was a spring in my step as I looked up the Nene Valley to Nene Park, scene of the mighty Rushden's 5-1 victory over Bath City on Tuesday and, no doubt, another massive victory over Hayes and Yeading this afternoon. Where is Hayes, or Yeading, anyway? I guess they had to look Rushden up on a map to be fair.
But back to the birds - 56 species in a two hour stroll. I had been wondering whether there would be a singing chiffchaff, early sand martin or garganey, but there wasn't. But it clearly is spring.
For a start, there were song thrushes singing everywhere all of a sudden. The long-tailed tits were sneeking around in pairs rather than chattering around in groups. A pair of shelduck had arrived. And, most obvious of all, the oystercatchers are back, just as I've told you they should be.
Has spring arrived with you yet? Any signs of it?
Hi Mark,
The last 2 winters blackcaps seemed to have hung around in or near our garden all the way through. There were none this winter - but one has just arrived a couple of days ago. Has it flown west from the snowy wastes of central europe to get to us, or north?
Oystercatchers have arrived at Upton warren Nature reserve in Worcestershire - my local patch, as well as 3 Avocets which are great to see. They started breeding here about 6 years ago and have returned every year since. Sand Martins have been reported on the south coast so once this cold spell moves away I reckon it won't be long before they move north. It will be a chance to see if the Sand Martin bank we've installed will be taken up - basically a very large wooden nest box on stilts!
Bull of the Bog - I'm sorry that I see that I didn't reply to your first comment on this blog about a month ago - about forests - it was a good comment. So, belated welcome to the RSPB community and this blog. And I agree that February spring is unreliable spring. Of course, we could have some more winter before we see any warblers or swallows.
I always think of February as the month of the "false spring" when a sunny day and a singing Mistle Thrush gets your hopes up only for them to be dashed by a week of cold greyness, but March and the scales start to shift in springs' favour over winter. Here in Norfolk Snow drop flowers are starting to turn over and there was Frog spawn in a pond in Norwich on a grey day last week, which was as ever wonderful to see.