It’s an interesting time of year at Langford, where the end of the winter starts to meet the beginning of the spring and it feels so good after a long dark few months!
One of the first signs that things are starting to change is the twittering song of the skylark. I was delighted to see and hear my first one last week, followed by more yesterday at the southern end of the reserve.
There are plenty more birds starting to sing and hold territory ready for the forthcoming breeding season too and robin, wren, dunnock, blue and great tit have all been heard on site in the last week. Song thrush and blackbird in my garden at home provide a clue to which species might be next!
Male wildfowl are looking stunning at the moment and whilst most will move to more northerly climes for breeding, we are always treated to the fabulous displays of male goldeneye at this time of year. As of last week, they have started and birds have been seen from the Beach Hut displaying to groups of females out on the water.
Other wildlife highlights of the last week include a stunning female marsh harrier, barn owl, bittern and we now have up to 10,000 starlings back each evening. They are best from around 16.30 onwards, best viewed from the platform on the Cromwell Trail. Great to have them back after their disappearance in December!
Murmuration!