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| Chiffy (c) JR |
Full on spring seems to have happened at last, after what
has seemed an interminable wait. Saturday morning was the epitome of a spring
morning on the moor, with the first Cuckoo calling from the Roman Road and both
Whitethroat and Common Whitethroat singing in the carpark field. On Saturday morning there was a good scatter
of Blackcaps singing in the hedgerows and there were several Sedge Warblers
staking claims to territories with their demented, frenetic songs.
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| Sedge warbler being shy (c) Bark |
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| Willow Warbler (c) Bark |
It was as if
a dam had finally burst and new sounds and fresh life were flowing in through
the gap. Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were in full song from he bridleway
and one Chiffchaff was so stained with yellow from the pollen of the pussy
willow around it that, but for its song it would have been tricky to identify.
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| Chiffy covered in pollen. (c) Bark |
There is a steady trickle of passage waders going through
with three Black-tailed Godwits out on Big Otmoor on both days this weekend and
a very elusive male Ruff. Redshank are everywhere one looks and have two pairs
of Oystercatchers spending time both on and off the reserve. They flew low over
us on Saturday morning and what fell on my head demonstrated that it is not
just RAF Tornados that are adept at precision bombing!
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| Reedbed Teal (c) Bark |
There were still significant numbers of ducks on the Big
Otmoor pools and fifty or sixty Teal still on the reedbed lagoons. There are
still Wigeon and a minimum of ten Pintail on Big Otmoor. Four Shelduck have
been commuting between Noke Sides and Ashgrave, they are often present at this time
of year but as yet we have no evidence of breeding attempts.
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| Little Egret (c) Bark |
A Little Egret was
stalking the margins of the Ashgrave pools presumably in pursuit of frogs,
whilst in the reedbed Herons come and go to their hidden nests. It has now been
proved that there are two booming male Bitterns on the moor, one in the main
reedbed and the other in the linear reedbed nearer to Noke. Timed observations
of the booming on Thursday evening proved that there must be two, short of
having just one bird with a cloak of invisibility!
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| smart pair of Gadwall on Ashgrave (c) Bark |
A dead goose out on Ashgrave has attracted a pair of Ravens
that were spotted several times over the weekend flying in to feed and then
flying off, presumably to feed young. The Marsh Harriers are very active both
over the reedbed and the wider fields of the reserve. The male Hen Harrier is
still with us, immaculate now in full adult plumage. It seems to be hunting
further afield over the moor and is not always staying distantly on the far
sides of the field. Barn Owls too are putting in regular appearances and
hunting both at dawn and at dusk.
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| barn Owl (c) JR |
With the presence of Whitethroat and on Sunday at least
three Lesser Whitethroats the Otmoor year list is leaping ahead. There was a
male Redstart in Long meadow on Friday and only this morning the first pair of
Garganey of the year were spotted. The list currently stands at one hundred and
twenty. Next week I expect it to go even further but I will not be there myself
to record it……..I will be watching much less exciting things in Lesvos.
Fortunately Steve and Pete will be filling in in my absence and I just hope
that that they don’t turn up anything too exceptional.
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| Pristine Peacock (c) Bark |
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