This time last week we were still reeling from the impact of one of the worst storms to hit these parts in recent memory. Doris, in fact, led to the first ever weather-induced closure of Burton Mere Wetlands as the site was unsafe to allow public access with pieces of tree, small and large, raining down around the car park even from first light with the brunt of the winds still to come.
The decision not to open was certainly justified by the end of the day, with numerous trees blown down including one across the driveway which very nearly saw the two staff members still on site unable to get home! If you’ve visited the reserve in the week since, the impact cannot be missed, with vast areas of screening missing, the odd broken fence rail and panel and a couple of small areas of the reserve still closed off due to dangerous trees which we’ve not yet had the capacity to address.
Damaged screening on approach to Marsh Covert hide by Alasdair Grubb
Amidst all the drama, we’ve now crept into March and it’s beginning to feel like we’re leaving winter behind for another year. One of the earliest signs of spring at Burton Mere Wetlands is the return of the avocets; it’s now a fortnight since the first two arrived, a few days later than last year, and numbers have gradually trickled upwards to today’s 14.
There’s a definite sense of spring in the air with many of the various ducks that have been with us all winter now in pairs awaiting their impending northward migration; still plenty of shoveler, wigeon, teal and occasional pintail to be seen, along with the reserve’s resident ducks mallard, gadwall, shelduck and tufted duck.
The wader flocks have been impressive lately, with still thousands of lapwings along with smaller numbers of golden plover, dunlin, redshank, black-tailed godwit, one or two ruff and a pair of oystercatchers seemingly already prospecting nest sites on the scrape islands.
The trees along the Burton Mere trail are still busy with siskins, nuthatch, treecreeper and recently mistle thrush have been seen frequently, whilst great-spotted woodpeckers fill the air with their drumming. The elusive green woodpeckers are still being reported regularly, though one of the best places for them at present seems to be the garden of Burton Mere house, where Site Manager Colin Wells captured this cracking photo.
Green woodpecker by Colin Wells
Still plenty of raptor activity, with marsh harrier and peregrine most common, though merlins have been showing well this past week and the occasional hen harrier drifting in from the estuary.
There’s still a good range of relative rarities knocking around a single cattle egret making occasional appearances, plus five great white egrets still on the estuary and roosting on The Mere.
Water pipits and a few goldeneyes continue to be seen from Marsh Covert Hide along with a single female scaup earlier this week, whilst a Mediterranean gull has been the pick of the bunch from the increasing gull numbers on the scrape.
An exciting time of year awaits, with the impending departure of the winter wildfowl and waders, some of whom have been with us since late August, and the imminent arrival of a variety of migrating waders on passage and a whole host of warblers, the martins and swallows and the burst of colour from blooming flowers, some of which are already on their way.
Don’t forget Chris is still on site with his catering van every Wednesday to Sunday so you can grab some lunch as well as a hot brew before or after you’ve explored the reserve.