January Highlights 2022

 A new year, a new face. Hi, I'm Sean and I will be taking over from where our warden Ben has left off, bringing you a monthly blog of recent sightings and highlights from Strumpshaw Fen, Buckenham and Cantley Marshes. With over 10 years experience of spotting and identifying wildlife to visitors at Strumpshaw Fen Reception Hide and writing a regular blog of my own (called The Autistic Naturalist)under my belt, I'm sure I can do an equally fine job of things, so here goes!

 We began a new year with the warmest New Year's day on record. In fact, it has been a fairly mild winter so far. January 2022, though, will forever be known by staff here at Strumpshaw as the worst months we've ever experienced for floods. On the final weekend of the month, due to Storm Malik, water levels in the River Yare rose to 1.40m and flooded a large majority of the reserve, forcing us to close most of the paths. Since then, most of these paths are reopened and both Fen and Tower hides are accessible.  The Lackford Run which is as muddy as ever for this time of year, will remain closed until the worst has dried up.

 The broad outside Reception Hide has been at its best for a while, wildfowl wise. Gadwall, mallard and greylag geese have been arriving there in large numbers with a smaller number of shoveler and teal as well. After being largely absent for most of this winter, I was very happy to see that the coots have returned to scrap with one another and now starting to build their nests once again.

 Shoveler: Andy Hay (RSPB Images)

Otters have been seen regularly throughout the reserve, including a mother and cub. Bitterns have been appearing at Reception on occasion, sometimes showing well on the islands. Marsh harriers are perhaps the most visible of Strumpshaw's specialities at the moment, while kingfisher views are fairly low key, possibly spending more time by the river than the reserve itself.

 Bittern on island at Reception Hide: Sean Locke

By far the best place to see birds right now is in the woods. I have witnessed large flocks of siskin numbering 100+, causing quite a noise with their twittering and wheezing calls in the alder trees. You may also be lucky to spot the odd redpoll amongst them too.

    

Siskin: Les Bunyan (RSPB Images)

With it being quite mild, it is not surprising that signs of spring have already started to show. Drumming woodpeckers, catkins on trees and we have a lovely display of snowdrops near Base Camp are just some of the highlights out now. We have even recorded our first butterfly of the year, a brimstone on Feb 8th!

 

Snowdrops: Andy Hay (RSPB Images)

January had been a great month to visit Buckenham and Cantley. The 5 Taiga bean geese were still hanging around, providing distant views up until Jan 18th and we had up to around 150 Russian white-fronted geese until recently. Pink-footed geese are still around and you may see them flying in large skeins over Strumpshaw if you are up early enough.

 Many of our overwintering wader and duck species have had a good month too with 500 wigeon and 6000 lapwings to name just a few. With so many birds out on the marshes, you can imagine the sights and sounds of them all as they rush up all at once to evade the winter visiting peregrines swooping by!

 Lapwing:  Elizabeth Dack 

In the next couple of weeks, it is forecasted to be relatively warm and for the most part rather dry, so I hope it will give you more of a reason to come visit us. Keep an eye out for scarlet elfcaps, a small bright red fungus that you can find along the edge of the woodland trails, as well as redwings and fieldfare before they head back north to Scandinavia in a couple of months' time.

I plan to bring you a regular update towards the end of each month, so look out for my next instalment at the end of February. In between I can be found helping in Reception Hide on a Wednesday so if you are visiting please come and say hello and let me know what you have been spotting. 

Happy in Nature - Sean Locke