There can be absolutely no doubt that spring is here, despite the, at times, chill northerly wind that has been blowing this week. Wader migration is in full swing, warblers are arriving en masse, insects are flitting around the reserve in increasing numbers, and a few unexpected bonuses are thrown in too.
The pick of the waders this week has been a pair of little ringed plovers that displayed on West Scrape on Monday. At least one is still around. Avocets are beginning to settle on West Scrape too. Wader numbers are fluctuating almost by the minute as new birds arrive, others move on, and still more pause just briefly for a rest. We've had double figures counts of bar-tailed godwits, greenshanks, grey plovers, whimbrels and dunlins, and smaller numbers of knots, turnstones, spotted redshanks, green sandpipers and golden plovers.
Greenshank by Jon Evans
Terns are slowly starting to return too. Sandwich terns peaked at 20+ earlier in the week, one or two common terns are passing through, and the first two little terns arrived yesterday. At least six Mediterranean gulls were on the Scrape today, along with two second-year Caspian gulls, and a kittiwake was present yesterday.
Best of the warblers is undoubtedly a grasshopper warbler that has taken up residence in a patch of sweetbriar about 50 metres west of the Chapel Field, close to the gate for the temporary path to the chapel from the sluice to Eastbridge footpath. Two birds were singing this morning, and a lesser whitethroat was nearby yesterday. The Chapel Field has also hosted up to six ring ouzels since Sunday, though these favour gorse at the west end of the field. A garden warbler was singing near to the BBC Springwatch studio this morning, while blackcaps, whitethroats, sedge and reed warblers can all now be heard from suitable habitat. A nightingale is also favouring the area close to the studio, but as yet it has sung only intermittently.
At least two hobbies are now hawking insects over the reedbed, and marsh harriers are easy to spot above the reeds. Buzzards are becoming daily occurrences, but two ravens that flew north over the west end of the reedbed were a surprise - though an increasingly regular spring passage migrant. Four common cranes put on a great display today as they cruised low over the visitor centre before settling on the Levels for five minutes. They soon headed north again, after a circuit of the reserve, so many visitors were excited to see these majestic birds. Another large, long-legged bird that has taken up temporary residence is a great white egret that can sometimes be seen from the Whin Hill Watchpoint, or in flight from reedbed hides.
Great white egret by Ian Clarke
Other bird highlights over the last couple of days have included one or two cuckoos, yellow wagtails, swifts and house martins each day, wheatears in open grassy areas, very vocal Cetti's warblers and bitterns and the great crested grebes at Island Mere.
Numbers and variety of butterflies have improved noticeably over the last couple of days. Highlights include green hairstreaks, orange tips, small coppers and brimstone, while peacocks, small tortoiseshells and commas are perhaps more visible. A few large red damselflies are now on the wing. Beeflies can still be seen around patches of ground ivy, as are good numbers of common carder bees and a few other bumblebee species.
The adders are still slowing well along the adder trail, and a grass snake was in North Marsh today.
Duelling adders by Malcolm Gladman