Recent Wildlife Sightings 2nd - 8th March
Highlights: Firecrest, Avocet, Moorhen, Chiffchaff
Spring (well, meteorological spring) is in the air! The reserve is starting to emerge from its winter slumber, with bright sunny mornings practically dazzling us after weeks of dismal grey skies, and the first signs of new life have arrived to welcome in the finer weather.
Highlights: Firecrest, Avocet, Moorhen, Chiffchaff
The Craft Fair and reserve were equally bustling with activity last weekend, with the usual chorus of Song Thrush, Great Tit, Robin and Chaffinch complementing the atmospheric music playing in the centre. Near Lily Pond, a wintering Chiffchaff changed its tune this week to its namesake 'chiff-chaff chiff-chaff' call, another sign that spring is upon us.
Away from the Craft Fair, patient birders were treated to a Firecrest dashing around a pine tree between Boardwalk Hide and Observatory Hide on Saturday. This tiny but energetic bird spent most of its time resting in the brambles between bursts of activity, unsurprising given the intensity with which it hunted invertebrates amongst the vegetation.
On Thursday, an Avocet was seen from British Steel Hide, sweeping its distinctive upwardly-curved bill through the water to filter out aquatic insects. An uncommon winter visitor to the site, this wading bird is one of the great success stories in wildlife conservation in this country, as the species went from extirpated (locally extinct) in Britain in 1840 to a healthy breeding population in the latter half of the 20th century.
The first known breeding bird success on site this year was observed this week, with a brood of three Moorhen chicks taking their tentative first steps into the big wide world in Smew Pond. Moorhens are a familiar site both inside the grounds and out on the reserve, but those resident in the grounds are known to be much more intrepid, which explains why this pair chose to nest in such a conspicuous location.
