There’s always something new and interesting to see at RSPB Northward Hill and today was no exception.
With intermittent sunshine and a constant threat of rain, it was nice to hear car-park Blue Tits and distant Great Tits singing in the trees and bushes.
Robin Redbreast and Jenny Wren were also adding their voices to the birdsong.
My mission today was to discover if any insect species were emerging in the mild late winter.
I made my way through to the Alder Wood to try and relocate the Harlequin larvae I’d found a couple of days ago on fallen log.
Happily they were still there. Being really tiny, probably only a eight of the size when they are ready to pupate later on in the year, they must have only very recently hatched, quite early on in the year due to the mild weather.
Having only my phone (I wasn’t expecting much to photograph) I managed to grab a couple of shots. Looking at one in particular it seemed a tad larger than the others. On closer examination it became obvious why. It was feasting on one of its’ siblings.
Harlequins are known to be cannibalistic when food is in short supply and of course this time of year there won’t be much else to eat!
Making my way back it was interesting to note the brambles were showing a lot young pale green shoots bursting from their woody, thorny tendrils. Yet another sign of an early Spring not too far away.
Overhead I heard a familiar sound, something I’d not heard at all this winter.
The unmistakable,’chaker chack chack of a flock of Fieldfare, about thirty in total. They seemed to have a Common Buzzard in tow, so not sure what that was all about!
As I say always something new at Northward Hill.
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.