Spring is continuing to advance – very slowly! Last week saw the first small tortoiseshell butterfly on site and indeed the first butterfly for weeks, since a peacock was seen in a brief warmer spell in January! This was then followed by two more small tortoiseshells yesterday and my first bumblebee of the year. The large queen was flying around silt lagoon 2, presumably taking advantage of the plentiful willow catkins that are providing the only source of nectar at the moment!
I’m waiting for my first Langford brimstones now, after seeing three in over the border in Lincolnshire on Saturday and hoping for other species that should be on the wing now, including comma, red admiral and soon orange-tip, speckled wood and green-veined white.
Bird wise, the migrants are trickling in. My breeding bird survey this morning revealed two singing chiffchaffs – one more than last week and at least 3 little ringed plovers. Our Conservation Officer, Carl Cornish, also reported the first sand martin of the year on Saturday. There was plenty singing this morning including 3 song thrush, numerous reed buntings, increasing numbers of skylark holding territory, little grebe trilling away on Phase 3 and Cetti’s warbler.
However, my highlight of this morning’s survey was a woodcock around the south end of the site on the National Cycle Network trail. I saw the bird in flight twice, such a distinctive looking species and beautifully plumaged, this was a real treat and only my second woodcock sighting this winter (and yes, it felt like it was still winter in that wind!).