March 2007 Bird Report

March began with a wet week, followed by a dry and sunny week, then followed by a cold wet week and finished with a bit of everything week. This seems to have delayed arriving and departing migrant birds.

The geese have paired up and dispersed, although they are still mobile – about 20 Egyptians roost on Tern Island along with some Canadas and a pair of Swans. There have been a couple of pairs of Greylags as well, but I didn’t see them in the last week so they may have settled somewhere else. The numbers of ducks has dropped, but a few of everything except Pintail are about. Mandarin Ducks have appeared, usually on Grove Lake; by the 27th there were Mandarin eggs in 4 on the nest boxes on the Reserve. A male Ruddy Duck is still hanging around on Horseshoe Lake. I expect the Goosander and Goldeneye will be off shortly. 

I had not seen any Little Egrets for a few weeks and had assumed that they had moved back to the coast until a couple turned up on the 21st, and one was still around at the end of March.

The Peregrine Falcon that was around in February took up station on the pylon south of Horseshoe Lake and could be seen there daily until last week – sometimes eating some hapless prey item; both an adult male and a juvenile have been reported. The regular pair of Little Owls seems to have taken up residence in the old willow tree at the bottom of the paddock by the car park, and I have seen another pair in the old oaks by the pond on the north of the new workings. I was pleased to see the Barn Owls back in the boxes on the Reserve on the 16th. Let’s hope they can hold there own against the resident pair of Kestrels this year, who can manage with an old crows nest, or even the top section of the owl boxes.

Snipe are still around and I believe Ian Brown counted over 30 on a survey of the lake margins during the month. A Ringed Plover turned up on the 9th and Little Ringed Plover arrived on the 17th. The first of at least 4 Redshank arrived on the 12th. There has not been any passage waders reported, which is unusual.

Up to 200 Black-headed Gulls are still courting on Tern Island, but no sign of any Common Terns yet.  Chiffchaff arrived mid month and the number of singing males must be more than 15 in the area. I have not heard any other warblers yet. Stock Doves were brooding eggs in one of the nest boxes by the 13th, but unfortunately they failed after hatching, probably due to the cold spell the following week. By the 27th there were three boxes with Stock Dove activity; and plenty of Blue Tit and Great Tit nest building activity, but no eggs.

Bruce Archer