Autumn has arrived at the Crook

The long summer days are now drawing to a close and there is a distinctive chill in the wind as it announces autumn. The song of many of the familiar birds that rung across the reserve has now faded until next year. The hedges are now filled with the reds and blacks of a variety of fruiting trees. Many of out bird we have become accustomed too over the summer are preparing to leave for warmer climes. Swallows and House Martins stream southwards across the field and lagoons. It is a time of change other visitors move through the reserve as they head off too. Then occasionally unusual surprise, earlier this moth a Dotterel, a species of wader from further north, breeding on the tops of the mountains, was briefly see on the reserve.

Dotterel (not the one on site)

But the summer residents are now being replaced by our winter guests. The first skeins of geese (Pink-foot and Barnacle) can be heard in the distance their familiar calls filling the air as they move closer to the reserve, their new home for a few months.  Their voices add to onset of autumn and as the months progress the familiarity will herald the winter. But within these greys and black colours of the geese is a flash of white as swans’ group to together, a closer look at the group of swans on the merse reveals one with a yellow beak, the first Whooper Swan of the autumn has been recorded. But do not be deceived they are not the only white beauties out on the marsh Little Egret daintily dance in the pools looking for the next meal. They are dwarf by the larger cousin. A Great White Egret has been seen out on the marsh over the last month.

Swans at the Crook

Whooper and Mute Swan

Great White Egret

With a movement of birds from the north and the uplands is soon followed by their predators both Merlin and Hen Harrier have returned to their winter haunts. The marsh is full of Linnet, Goldfinch, and the occasional Twite if you are luckily, and these birds of prey will be cruising handsomely across the marsh to flush their next meal.

Out on the mudflats in the distance flocks of duck and waders continue to increase with Golden Plover, Teal, Wigeon, Curlew and Lapwing all now regularly reported from the distance feeding areas.

Now the breeding season is ended much of the management work can begin. Topping of rushes around the reserve has begun around the lagoon, preparing for the next breeding season. Over November you may notice even more activity around the reserve, as we carry out further improvements to the reserve’s fields. A spray of soil may be observed as new water features are created in the fields to provided feeding areas for Lapwing chicks. So please follow all on site instruction to keep yourself safe.