Well, that’s a bit more like it! Spring has arrived at last; a week of warm weather and sunny spells.
Warblers were particularly evident this week, finally getting a decent amount of weather to advertise their presence through singing. All migrant warblers are in and being seen regularly; lesser whitethroat being the most difficult to connect with. Grasshopper warblers were once again heard at the river end of Sandy Wall and along the Lackford Run. There appear to be good numbers of common whitethroat on the reserve this year with at least 4 territories around the fen trail. Garden warblers are present in two locations along the riverbank, but as always are quite hard to see well.
At least three cuckoo’s have been seen around the fen this week and are audible from all over the reserve. Kingfishers have been seen fishing from Fen Hide and along the riverbank, while bearded tits are busy feeding their young too. Swallows, swifts and martins have increased in number dramatically now that it has warmed up and hot on their heels are the hobby’s, which are beginning to appear in numbers now. Marsh harriers are continuing to impress with their close flybys and their skills are improving when it comes to food passes!
Buckenham on Wednesday had a fine male wheatear, possibly of the Greenland race as well as a great white egret and a small flock of whimbrel. There are good numbers of lapwing and redshank on the marshes at the moment and snipe are beginning to drum well now early in the morning.
Today (Friday) saw the most interesting sighting of the week, we saw five little terns feeding over Rockland Broad for 3 minutes. This is usually a sea going tern so inland sightings are particularly rare, indeed it is my first ever record for the Mid Yare Valley.
The warm weather has caused the hoped for explosion of insects; large red damselflies have been rapidly increasing in number, the first few hairy dragonflies have been seen and butterfly numbers have also dramatically increased. Butterflies seen this week have included comma, small tortoiseshell, peacock, holly blue, green veined white, orange tip and brimstone.