January and February

 

Newly returned Curlew (c) Darrell Wood

There has been very little change in the water levels across the moor since I wrote at the beginning of January…unless perhaps they have got deeper! There have been just one or two dry periods of high pressure over the last six weeks and consequently temperatures have remained well above average. There have been some spectacular storms with exceptionally heavy rainfall.There have been just a few frosty nights and no sustained ice on the lagoons. I have never known the moor to be so flooded and for so long, waters usually retreat after a few days , but not this year.

Lapwings over Greenaway's (c) JR

The above average temperatures have meant that birds are starting to sing and court perhaps two weeks earlier than we might have expected them to. There is a regular chorus of birdsong now with Chaffinches, Song Thrushes and Dunnocks among the most obvious. Cetti’s are also setting up territories and any walk around the reserve is punctuated by their strident and explosive shouts. Another bird that has been announcing its presence frequently is the seldom seen Water Rail, although at least two have been appearing intermittently along the flooded path to the first screen.

Long Tailed Tit (c) Bark

It took me almost an hour to walk from the carpark to the “crossroads” a couple of Sundays ago as there were so many small birds working their way along the bridleway hedges, loosely associating with a party of Long-tailed Tits. Goldcrests have been unusually easy to find, and the mild winter may have helped these diminutive birds to survive in good numbers.

Goldcrest (c) Bark

Despite careful looking we are yet to find a Firecrest amongst them, although they have been reported on the reserve in previous years. Chiffchaffs are also starting to sing, they are probably birds that have overwintered and not fresh incoming spring migrants.

Chiffy by the bridge (c) Bark

Curlew numbers are starting to build up and the first Redshanks are being seen across Big Otmoor. It is well worth looking carefully at any Curlew that can be ‘scoped on the ground. We are hoping that the first young birds that were fitted with flags on their upper thighs will be returning as mature adults to breed, any such markers spotted should be reported to the RSPB.

Curlew on Noke Sides (c) Darrell Wood

There have also been four Oystercatchers flying together and calling between Big Otmoor and Ashgrave. The huge flocks of both Golden Plovers and Lapwings are still present and offering spectacular sightings to visitors. They are often accompanied by parties of much smaller Dunlin. Scanning across Noke sides will often reveal them scuttling about and feeding around the feet of the Lapwings and Plovers. There have also been a limited number of Ruff but they can be a bit more difficult to pick out.

Luke snoozing (c) Bark

Wildfowl numbers are still extremely high with Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shoveller at their annual expected maxima. Our leuchistic drake Pochard (Luke) is back again and with the Pochard this year is a rather interesting looking hybrid that may well have some Ferruginous duck in its parentage. A pair of Red-crested Pochard were at the second screen a couple of weeks ago but flushed with all the other ducks when a Peregrine went over and sadly did not return.

Brent Goose on Noke Sides (c) Julian Parfitt

There has been a Brent Goose coming and going with the feral Canadas and Greylags, in flight it is very noticeable being much smaller than the birds it flies with, and on the ground (sometimes on Noke Sides) it is unmistakeable. This is only the fourth record since 2015.

White Front (c) John Uren

There are currently four Marsh Harriers present on and around the moor. One of them is a mature male and one looks as though it may be a sub-adult male. It will be interesting to see what happens with their breeding this year.

Marsh Harrier (c) JR

There is still a Ring-tailed Hen Harrier present and although it seems to be seen most frequently during the late afternoon around the Starling roost, we were lucky enough to see it over Greenaways around midday last week. Peregrines too are making daily appearances and can often be seen perched up in the bare oak tree on the side of the Noke sides field closest to the second screen.

Peregrines (c) Sue Carruthers.

There are still Starlings coming in to roost, but they are not using the reedbed as a roost site. They are currently spending the night in the hedgerows either adjacent to the reedbed or further down the bridleway towards Noke.

Golden Plovers (c) JR

The seed feeding beside the hide is still continuing and whilst it is attracting significant numbers of Finches and Buntings they are not present in the large numbers that we have seen in previous years. This is especially true of Linnets where we would once host flocks of hundreds we now attract flocks of twenty or thirty at the most. It may be that the mild wet winter has not driven them in to our feeding station and they can still find food in the wider countryside. Unfortunately it may also reflect a fall in their population.

Damp Kestrel on the trail to the second screen (c) Bark

The Cranes are back and in varying combinations and numbers. The last ringed bird  (Ted) is being seen, sometimes in company of another and sometimes alone. There have been at least four other birds seen, although we currently cannot differentiate between them as individuals. They are very vocal and will call and their calls often elicit a response from other Cranes across the reserve often out of sight of us and even several fields away.

Homebuilding (c) Bark

The latest nesting dramas are taking place in the reedbed where there are currently at least eight active Grey Heron nests. Birds can be seen coming and going with sticks to supplement the platforms that they have made from the reeds. They are not averse to stealing sticks from each other’s nests while the owners are out looking for more building materials. This activity can lead to some angry interactions. The adult breeding plumage is very smart, fresh and characterised by a bright orange bill.

The "wickering" call of Little Grebes is also being heard (c) John Uren

The soundscape on the reserve is quite exceptional at the moment; Curlew are calling and displaying, parties of Golden Plovers and the ground maintain a chittering that rises and falls in volume it seems according to their nervousness, some Lapwings are making their “peewit” courtship calls, Redshank are back and adding their distinctive call to the mix and on Saturday we heard our first Bittern “booms” of the year from the northern reedbed. Spring is just about arriving!

Water, water everywhere..... (c) JR