What an Exciting Month

What an exciting month for our natural world! The emergence of large numbers of colourful crocus on the Village Green and near the High School entrance has been amazing. The combination of extremely wet weather and warm sun has clearly had an impact this year, and a delight for all to see. Rowton and Claypits Lanes was one of the best places to see thousands of snowdrops, and daffodils too appeared much earlier than unusual. Three brown hare were seen one morning down at Hockenhull, another good sign of Spring, with lots of otter spraints indicating that they are still active on the Gowy. The river itself has been flowing at a very high level throughout February, having already been almost 9ft (3m) above normal in January. Four superb Mandarin ducks which have been spotted twice recently, have been welcome visitors to the river. On another occasion there were five little egrets present, and just yesterday I spotted a single dabchick swimming under the middle bridge. The most exciting moment for me however was the sound of a curlew, surely one of the most evocative sounds in nature, and at least three sightings have occurred in late February. The first sound of spring is usually the chiff chaff, and this year the first was heard and seen on the 18th February, a very early date, with at least four males singing for territory by early March. Cettis warblers are also vociferous, with their ear piercing call, and we know now that they are really established on the reserve, with at least three singing males heard recently. Oystercatchers are also seen regularly, and they too have a very clear call, a loud, cleep, cleep as they fly around the lake and over the meadows. There are probably only 50+ or so lapwings now, many preparing to breed locally, compared to the 500+ seen over the winter. They make a spectacular sight when in the air together, sometimes diving for cover when a peregrine falcon appears. This month is a good time to see buzzard, kestrel and sparrowhawk, all appearing regularly in the Village. The kingfisher(s) too are seen daily, along the canal at this time of year before they move to their nesting territory.

The last of our wintering fieldfare and redwing are feeding on fields around the parish, and the pink footed geese are now seen only infrequently in small skeins, as they too will be preparing to head home to Iceland to breed. I spotted one single individual swimming with some Canada geese recently, and also a greylag goose which seemed happy to be paired with a Canada goose down on the lake. There were 14 wigeon, 25+ tufted duck, several teal and shelduck there on a my last visit. We seem to have had an influx of 20+ reed buntings at the beginning of March, and they have now already paired up and are occupying nest territories. They are usually easy to spot on the top of hedgerows or bulrushes, the males sometimes confused with several pair of stone chats which are also resident. Song thrush, blackbird, wrens and nuthatches are also calling loudly across the Parish, and I get daily reports of people hearing greater spotted woodpeckers drumming, and tawny owls calling. Barn owls are seen regularly across the fields, usually hunting in early morning or just after dusk. Our smaller birds are also beginning to pair up, and my perception is that blue, great and long tailed tits have survived well over the winter months. We have active nest building going on in the hedge of our small garden by wrens, robins, dunnock, starlings and blackbirds, whilst house sparrows are still about in good numbers ignoring our nest boxes and trying to find nest sites in the roof. Keep your eyes open for the first arrivals of sand and house martins in mid March, with swallows coming usually towards the end of the month. We should also begin to see the emergence of small tortoishell, peacock and brimstone butterflies. The first two usually hibernate in sheds and out buildings, even in the church, and are always the first to be seen in this area. Another indication that spring is here.