March - May

The weather has played an important part in the onset of Spring, this year: with the cold weather in February, the snowdrops were not at their best until very early March. During the last two weeks of March, the wind was from the North or North West and consequently it was very cold, slowing down all signs of spring.

   In early March, large numbers of birds, mainly greenfinches and chaffinches, were still using the feeders alongside the usual blue and great tits. The long-tailed tits again seemed to find the lard on the trees to their liking and up to eight could be seen regularly pecking at the fat.

       Duck numbers on the scrape pool built up to a maximum of thirty teals. A pair of mallards appeared to have a territory, chasing others away and later in the month a pair of shelducks was occasionally dropping onto the scrape. The large flock of lapwing dispersed leaving about eighty birds present; some of these will be the breeding birds.

      A kingfisher was recorded several times throughout early March and on one occasion two were seen: but only on the one day. Two snipe were seen occasionally early in the month. During this period a stoat was once again noted chasing the rabbits and on one occasion making a kill.

A visitor to the bird hide found a little egret fishing in the pool; although it was only sighted on the one afternoon it was seen out on the marsh later on the same day. On 26th March, twenty two oystercatchers were on the marsh, resting at high tide.

      Both peacock and brimstone butterflies were noted on March 13th, the first really warm day of spring.  The primroses were also late but made a fine display when they finally came out. The first chiffchaffs were heard singing on the March 26th.

     In the last week of the month, we had an exceptional run of high tides which, together with the strong winds, flooded the marsh and refilled the scrape pool over a period of four days. Two ravens were circling over a dead mallard, on the shore, near the bird hide on April 2nd and over ninety five shelducks were on the marsh: most were starting to fight and display, attempting to attract a female.

On April 7th, a male blackcap was seen by the bird hide. Three chiffchaffs were singing in the woodland and a swallow was circling the scrape pool. The bird feeders continued to attract a large number of greenfinches and at least two great-spotted woodpeckers.

On the Pastures, a pair of long-tailed tits was noted carrying nesting material. By the April 8th, the weather had turned very warm during the day but remained cold at night and this form of weather lasted well into the month.

       On April 13th, a little egret was on the scrape pool once more; pair of shelduck and six teals were also present. The warmer weather encouraged at least five peacock butterflies and a male brimstone to fly about the site.

Though there were still at least 350 Canada geese on marsh, these were presumably non-breeding birds.

    At least twenty four snakehead fritillaries were found in flower on April 16th, along with a good display of cowslips in the spring meadows. On the same day a Canada goose was noted sitting on a nest on one of the islands in the scrape pool. The male, at least, was from a flock of disabled geese that frequent the marsh. Despite his injured wing he protected his female well and on one occasion was seen to chase a small dog from the scrape.

   Towards the end of the month several blue and great tits were seen entering the nest boxes and a few were already starting to take nesting material into the box. On April 26th, a whimbrel was seen roosting on the marsh edge and five cormorants on the marsh were drying their wings. Out on the sand banks, besides the usual curlew and redshank, eighteen dunlins and two ringed plovers were counted.  Small movements of pied wagtails, which were accompanied by several white wagtails, were seen by the scrape pool and on the meadows.

. 

    Early in May, several oystercatchers were seen from the bird hide, display flighting: calling loudly and doing a slow wing-flap. They were proclaiming their territory for the breeding season. At this time at least two lapwings could be seen sitting on their nests out on the marsh. A pair of buzzards, over the sewage works, was quite active around this time and their display and mewing call was heard on several occasions.

 Several whitethroats were now singing from the copses

    On the May 15th, a lucky observer at the bird hide saw the Canada goose pair take at least five newly hatched goslings away from the scrape island and out on the marsh to join up with the other Canada goose families. A minimum of forty young were seen with the adults.

    On the May 20th, the first of the year's common blue butterflies was on the wing with at least five orange tips and several green-veined whites. The cowslips have improved year on year and it is well worth taking the time to visit Pickerings Pasture to see them