I think we can call this the first blog of Spring 2022, given that we have now had a couple of migrant birds in and a few insects on the wing too. Our first record this year of chiffchaff came on 7 January but since the beginning of March, they have been heard singing and spotted by visitors almost every day, during spells of warm weather. As with blackcap, it is impossible to know if these 'early birds' are genuine migrants or if they have overwintered here. According to BTO statistics, approximately 1000 chiffchaffs and 3000 blackcaps overwinter in the UK each year, although this data is several years old and with the warmer winters these figures could be much higher now. The earlier we hear either species singing, the more likely it is that the bird has overwintered, as the bulk of songbird migration hasn't begun yet. However, this morning (16 March) our lovely volunteer Paul spotted a drake garganey on the Washland, towards the back and mixed in with lots of other ducks. We have been spoilt for choice with variety and number of ducks on the Washland:Avocet - 37 on 16 March (a high of 46 on 11 March)
Curlew - 1 on 16 March but 2-3 some days recently
Oystercatcher - 13 on 16 March (down from a high of 14 on 13 March)
Lapwing - 30+ on 16 March
Redshank - 9 on 16 March
Shoveler - 84 on 16 March
Teal - 300 on 9 March, around 60 on 16 March
Wigeon - 30 on 16 March
There have also been a few common gull on the Washland recently and today (16 March) we had five, along with a single lesser black-backed gull and a few black-headed gulls. It's common to see a great white egret, little egret or grey heron on the Washland but our most recent guided walk on 13 March gave us a good chance to take a rough count of these three species across the reserve and we got up to roughly five great white egrets, 7+ little egrets and three grey herons.There is a small heronry nearby and so in early Spring we do begin to see more grey herons as the adults breeding nearby like to have a convenient feeding spot! The same guided walk also produced our first booming bittern of 2022 with two sets of booms at approximately 6:30pm on 13 March. Hooray! Here's hoping for more to come!Mere Hide has been a super place recently to admire gorgeous great crested grebes- we have several pairs across the reserve but this individual was photographed catching and swallowing a seriously hefty lunch of pike on 11 March: Photo credit: Great crested grebe with a pike lunch at Mere Hide on 11 March 2022. Photos kindly shared with us by Emma Nunn.Smaller birds such as stonechat have been delighting visitors who walk along the riverbank footpath- as I write this there is a male singing to his female in his territory near the Washland viewpoint. There should be several stonechat sited along the footpath, along with Cetti's warblers who are much more often heard than seen. Although one male has been showing very well in the small blackthorn tree next to the viewpoint bench in recent days! If you disturb a pipit-like bird from the wet marshy vegetation that borders the river, it is quite likely you have seen a water pipit and we have a small population living along the river during winter here. Look out too for linnet and yellowhammer overhead, which have both been seen recently, as well as mistle thrush singing from the tall poplars along the entrance track. If you are here as dusk draws in (currently around 6:30pm) you may well hear tawny owls calling in a duet from the wooded area around the car park too. We are often asked about the best time and place to see barn owls here but the truth is, at the moment we have very few sightings, so please be prepared not to see them when you visit. They are around locally and using various boxes for roosting (and possibly nesting- we will see!) but seeing the birds when they are out and about is tricky at the moment. On the other side of the coin- if you do see any, we'd love to know! When and where you saw one would be ideal. The time has come around when mentioning our insect life doesn't involve a blank space... as we have now seen quite a variety of invertebrates in recent weeks. We have now seen brimstone, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies, lots of early bumblebee queens and female drone flies. Colt's-foot is flowering along the riverbank and this is very popular with various flies and solitary bees, as well as being delightful in it's own right (see photo below). Grey field-speedwell and red dead-nettle are two smaller plants which are just beginning to come into flower again. Photo credit: Colt's-foot flowering on the riverbank footpath east of the Washland viewpoint on 10 March 2022. Photos by Heidi JonesIt shouldn't be long before we start to spot smooth newts rising up in the raised pond in front of the Visitor Centre on warm days, or find common lizards basking on warm wood in sheltered spots across the reserve. However they won't be the first reptiles of 2022 because on 11 March a grass snake was spotted swimming across the floodwater underneath the Photo Station bird feeders. Human newsThis past week our work parties have been busy trimming willows that overhang footpaths so that when growth resumes in Spring, they don't affect the width of paths. We are also due soon to have contractors in to effect some repairs to the wooden balcony- some of it is rotting and needs to be replaced in order to keep it in good order, and that is likely to happen in the next month or so. We are also hoping soon to have commercial cleaners in to clean up the workshop and it's contents following a small fire in there on 3 March. This fire destroyed the electrical control panel for our biodigester which means our toilet cubicles are out of action, because the pumps that move waste into the biodigester have no power. So we are operating out of 'port-a-loos' temporarily and we hope to have this repaired soon. We do however have electricity again at the Visitor Centre itself so we are not without the coffee machine!I hope this blog has been useful- the coming few weeks should be full of new arrivals- such as sand martin, swallow and blackcap, as well as plenty more butterflies.With best wishes,Heidi Jones (Visitor Experience Officer, RSPB Lakenheath Fen).