A cold week with frosts and very low temperatures to start followed by bright and breezy conditions on Thursday with a pleasantly warm sun.
This week’s highlights have included a fine female hen harrier, which has been seen on Monday and Thursday, this bird looks like it is roosting at the fen so is most likely to be encountered towards the beginning and end of the day. The marsh harrier males are increasingly evident and I was expecting to see the first displaying this morning thanks to the bright clear skies…but it looks like we may have to wait a little longer.
At least two water pipits are still staying at the fen, although continue to be unwilling to settle in places that are viewable from the path, at least four stonechats are doing much the same.
Wildfowl numbers are slowly beginning to increase and the ducks have now mostly paired up and are busy displaying to each other, we currently have about 40 gadwall, 16 teal, 35 mallard and about 20 coots in front of reception with occasional visits by tufted duck, shoveler and wigeon. The coots are slowly beginning to break up into their breeding pairs, going from a tight flock to bickering pairs within a matter of weeks, although they get friendly again when the otters pass by! The first few great crested grebes have returned to the river in their fine plumage, they have yet to take their spring flight over the riverbank and into our water system, but it is only a matter of time.
Reed buntings have joined the list of birds heard singing, while the great spotted woodpeckers have stolen the show for most obviously displaying birds. The great, blue, coal and marsh tits are also very vocal at the moment. If you have never heard a treecreeper singing, the second pond dipping platform area is a great place to get familiar with the song. This is a fantastic time of the year to get to grips with our resident species’ songs as they really are belting it out and what’s more is that you can actually see them as there are no leaves on the trees!
The trees around reception and the carpark continue to support bullfinches, siskins, goldfinch, redpolls as well as fieldfare, redwing, song thrush and mistle thrush.
The flora is beginning to respond to the lengthening daylight with plenty of hazel flowers and catkins as well as snowdrops, some of which are getting close to going over already! Throughout the woodland there is an obvious amount of fresh growth of daffodils, lords and ladies and the bluebell leaves have even started to emerge heralding the oncoming season.
The paths are all open, however the riverbank is particularly muddy after a couple of recent flooding events, but it is passable and I would recommend wellingtons. The woodland circuit is in a fairly good condition (hard stone for the most part)
The delicate Hazel flower