April showers may have occurred this month, but that didn't stop many of you visiting the reserve over Easter. Many thanks to all those families who took part in our dinosaur egg hunt. Between the showers, there has also been enough sunshine to dry up the worst of the mud, meaning all paths except the meadow trail are fully open, including the Lackford Run. It is still worth remembering to wear walking boots or wellies if you are planning to walk all the way round the fen trail. We plan to have the meadow trail open from mid May (15th).
Lots of families, adults and children have been enjoying pond dipping. For those keen to discover the aquatic creatures we have in our reserve ponds the equipment can be hired from Reception, there is no need to book and costs just £3.
If you head out on the woodland trail towards the pumphouse, you can now enjoy a nice rest on a brand new bench which has been carved by chainsaw artist Matt Darge. This is positioned at the pumphouse offering fantastic views of the river, with any luck, you may even spot the wildlife that you can see carved into it from that particular spot.
In my March highlights I mentioned that chiffchaffs, blackcaps, sand martins and house martins had all returned, but there were a few newcomers that sneaked in just after this report had been posted. This included Strumpshaw's first swallow of 2023 which flew in on March 30th and the first willow warbler and sedge warbler on the 31st.
The migrants continued to reach us throughout April. The first grasshopper warbler was heard reeling behind the Fen Hide on April 7th. Then on the 8th, the first reed warbler returned. Next was the first green sandpiper on the 9th (over 10 of them have been recorded recently), a garden warbler on the 10th (though were more noticeable towards the final week), the first hobby on the 14th, common whitethroat on the 17th, lesser whitethroat on the 15th, cuckoo on the 22nd and greenshank on the 21st. We still await the first swift and common sandpiper sightings, so keep an eye out!
We've also had a few other migrants pop into Strumpshaw that were just passing through. April 22nd, in particular, turned out to be a good migrant day as a ring ouzel was discovered, as well as two others on the same day at Buckenham. Additional to that, the same Saturday had sightings of 2 whimbrels, 2 avocets and 2 Mediterranean gulls, which became 4 the next day at Strumpshaw. The next day, a wood warbler was apparently spotted near the reception, but this has not been confirmed.
Buckenham and Cantley, meanwhile has seen an increase in wader numbers, especially in our breeding avocets and black-tailed godwits. Amongst them, at least 8 whimbrels since April 17th and 13 bar-tailed godwits since April 19th. The first little ringed plover of the year was discovered on April Fools Day, but, I assure you, it wasn't a prank record. We also had a few surprising accounts of a spoonbill at Cantley on the 21st, a raven there on the 8th and 12th, a jack snipe on the 22nd and a merlin at Strumpshaw on the 4th and was seen at Buckenham a day later. Meanwhile, the Rockland short-eared owl is still present.
Around the Easter weekend, we were starting to see coot chicks and mallard ducklings on the broad outside the reception. About a week later, greylag goslings were also taking their first steps as they wandered around the reserve with their parents.
Marsh harriers continued to display, though most of them have now paired up and are in the process of nest building, egg incubating and food passes. We have at least 2 bitterns booming most mornings and evenings (you can hear them best from the Lackford Run and Tower Hide). Kingfishers and otters, on the other hand, have been rather secretive of late as the reports seem to have dried up.
Cranes have been providing a lot of excitement in the past year, but this month, they have been really active. A pair have been seen from our hides on an almost daily basis.
Insects are beginning to take to the wing in increasing number, including swarms of non-biting midges dancing above the surface of our broads. These tiny insects are providing an easy meal for many hungry birds from ducklings to wagtails and swallows alike.
Orange-tips and other butterfly species are also emerging, but we still await for the first swallowtails, which should be out before May ends. The first dragonfly should also be just around the corner. Our bee log in the flower bed has been attracting red mason bees and other species of bee and wasp, while, just outside the reception building, some keen eyes have found the odd glow-worm larvae.
Due to the cold snap in March, the bluebell display in far end of the woods seemed to have been delayed as only a few have flowered as of April 24th. However, I have noticed plenty of yellow-green spiked hood-like flowers (known as a spathe) of the lords and ladies arum poking out. This is a fascinating plant as it traps tiny flies over night until it is ready to release them when their pollen is deployed for pollination. It attracts them using the brown spike thing known as a spadix, which has a scent that smells like something rotting.
Lords and ladies arum
This May will see 3 bank holidays, the extra to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. We will be open as usual, so come pay us a visit! A reminder that a day after the coronation (May 7th) is International Dawn Chorus Day, a perfect excuse to experience the sounds of Strumpshaw at its best. Who knows, you may even hear a bittern booming! Our bluebells should be at their best by then too and there is always the hope of something rare and exciting visiting us by surprise.
We have lots of events planned over the coming weeks, Moth mornings, Dragonfly and Butterfly Safari's and lots more. Don't miss out, head on over to our events page to find out more and book your tickets: https://events.rspb.org.uk/strumpshawfen