Bumble bee queens are out, hedgehogs are out and cherry trees are flowering, so spring is in the air. And here at Saltholme the first of our spring migrants are arriving. This week, we have wheatear, chiffchaff and sand martin on the reserve. Whooper swans are moving north to their breeding grounds, and avocets are back in small numbers.
I always wonder how birds which feed on insects cope with early springs ? Especially with these colder mornings, there can’t possibly be enough insects around to sustain birds like sand martin. But they’re here and it happens every year !
Wheatear by Lockhart Horsburgh.
Chiffchaffs announce their presence in the familiar way, but wheatears are strikingly good looking birds on the tops of posts and fences, constantly on the lookout for those insects which are either still asleep, or in egg form !