Spring is well and truly springing; frogs are spawning, birds are nesting and the trees are ready to burst.
Avocets are back on the Main Bay islands so we’ve all got our fingers crossed for some more chicks this year. The tawny owls have been lurking fluffily in the hung tree between Bob Dickens and Village Bay. For a while, two of them treated visitors to a sneak peek through the branches, but only one has been spotted in recent days.
Avocet, Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
A bittern was heard booming in the reedbeds on our guided walk for member’s weekend, and we also had great views and songs from skylarks. The chiffchaff’s distinctive song has also been heard. Raptors were out last week with red kites, marsh harriers and a peregrine falcon spotted gliding over the reserve.
The kingfishers have been showing really regularly from the kingfisher screen, with a number of visitors telling us they’ve seen their first ones at Fairburn this week. Families have been out pond dipping too, watching the frogs and catching lots of diving beetles and water boatman.
There are a few coltsfoot flowers rearing their heads at the front of the visitor centre too. The sunny yellow flowers appear before the leaves in spring, and the name “coltsfoot” refers to their similarity in shape, to the foot of a horse.
Great spotted woodpecker, Tom Marshall (rspb.images.com)
And finally, this morning, we were treated to two noisy great spotted woodpecker in the trees opposite the balcony of the visitor centre – I think they were demanding the sunshine comes back!