A few warmer days are all the birds seem to need to know that spring is on its way. The slightly lighter mornings bring with them a blackbird, song thrush and wren dawn chorus. Although only three species it is beautiful none the less. The sunny days of late promote the simple song of the great tit and the wetland equivalent of the reed bunting. Their single note songs always make me smile at this time of year as they blast out tuneless notes with pride. A walk across Exminster Marshes to count wintering waders and wildfowl in the middle of the month brought with it a good number of reed buntings. They are already declaring ownership on sections of reed fringe and scrubby edge, their smart black heads appearing in the vegetation as they climb up to find the best vantage point.
Our hedgerows are showing some colour as the spring bulbs dare to raise their heads, still with the fear that a frost may be in the air. Looking back its been another good year for berries, bringing with them large numbers of winter thrushes and the rarer, but colourful waxwing. We wait to see if the spring colours are as delightful, as early signs of pink alder catkins, orange willows, and green buds not quite ready to burst, wet our appetite.
We too prepare for spring, trying to keep just one step ahead of the wildlife, but I always feel we have got a lot to learn and I never feel quite ready, always running to catch up. Our preparations include ensuring water levels and habitat conditions are as best as we can get them, to make them enticing enough to pull in our breeding waders. Then of course the constant challenge of controlling growing vegetation, warm and wet are the essential ingredients for growth and new grass is starting to sprout. The frosty weather limits grass growth so the marshes haven’t seen any grazing animals during the winter. In preparation for the warmer months ahead a handful of animals came on at the end of the month and it was great to see, the grassland always seem missing something when they are not there. In spring the density of animals is always kept to a level so not to risk the trampling of nests, but enough to keep the sward low in an attempt to try and control the tussocky vegetation, which provide good refuges for predators.
Great photo of the Reed Bunting Sally - Colin Scott