This week started off nice and bright, however as the week progressed cloud became a large feature, the winds have been very light allowing some sounds of spring to be heard.
The aforementioned signs of spring have been very much in evidence, the woodland has been alive with songs of tits, chaffinches, goldcrests, blackbirds, song thrushes and drumming great spotted woodpeckers. Keeping with the woodland theme, Nuthatch and treecreepers have also been giving short bursts of song while tailing the thinning roving tit flocks. My personal highlight of the week was seeing a large flock of winter thrushes along the pumphouse track. At least 100 fieldfare, 12 redwing, two mistle thrush, two song thrush and five blackbirds have all been gorging themselves in the field all week. Great to see all more frequent thrush species in the same place at the same time, the redwings were also in fine voice, sounding as if they were constantly sub-singing to each other.
The fen has seen some of the early male harriers strutting their stuff, Monday morning was particularly good as a male was sky dancing and locking talons with 2 different females. Bitterns have been rather scarce, but still present within the reedbed, one sighting was in the closest reeds to the reception hide, giving exceptional views. Bearded tits have been heard from various points around the fen trail while kingfishers have been seen mainly on the river. An otter was watched for at least an hour today by a few lucky observers by the sluice.
The wet grassland has seen slightly fewer birds, however the highlights were 100 white-fronted goose, 2 taiga bean goose, 26 bewick’s swans, the swans in particular are quite an uncommon sight on the ground at Cantley. Also present on the marshes were 727 lapwing, 550 golden plover, 2700 wigeon, 2 peregrines and a barn owl.
This coming week is half term and national nest box week so to celebrate we have a ‘love our birds’ children's trail. The trail is just £1 per sheet and children can enter the reserve for free all week.
The coming week should see a continuation of more birds singing, claiming nest sites and territories as well as cleaning out nest boxes ready for use. It is still a little early for birds such as bitterns to start booming in the Broads, however they have been making some sounds elsewhere in the UK already. The winter birds may also have a slight increase as reserves in Scandinavia are being used up, alternatively we may see winter birds heading North. On the fen, marsh harriers will be getting more vocal as the males who decided to overwinter will be getting first choice of females and territories and taking advantage of less competition.