Our Letter to Winter

Dear Winter

Please go away.  There have been swallows and wheatears in North Wales this week (though not at Conwy yet), and they'll be unimpressed with more sleet, wind and rain. 

You haven't managed to cool the ardour of the mute swans, which are busy testing out potential nest sites on the lagoon, and the lapwings are doing their noisy, tumbling displays over the islands.  The cowslips are starting to emerge on the bank near the coffee shop and we've even managed to find the first leaves of bee orchids, although the flowers won't be out until June.  A brave bank vole was enjoying the emergent vegetation in the reedbed on Monday and the sunny days you've permitted us this week have seen lots of bumblebees buzzing around the willow pollen, while on the water we've seen a single great crested grebe this week; we're hoping that its mate will turn up soon.  This is all good evidence that you are getting gently shoved out of the way in favour of spring, though we know you won't go down without a fight.

This week we've seen several redwings here, which will doubtless follow you back to Scandinavia as you retreat over the horizon, and there are still lesser redpolls and siskins on the birdfeeders that will head off to their breeding forests as spring arrives.   Most of the pochards have bailed out, leaving just a handful on the shallow lagoon, but the highlight was two male scaups which arrived on Tuesday but stayed for just a few hours. 

So, while we love your frosty mornings and those fabulous winter sunsets, and we enjoyed the sights you created when you chucked all that snow at us in December, you have to accept your time is over, for now at least.  We'll have you back later in the year, I'm sure, but the sun is heading over the Equator in 10 days and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Yours almost sincerely

RSPB Conwy