Spring's Sprung!
Finally the sun has come out at Gatestreet Barn, and the forecast for the end of this week looks glorious! The nice weather has meant that, at long last, signs of summer have been in evidence. Probably the seminal hint towards warmer times is the return of the Swallow, and from the 7th small numbers of this long-distance migrant have been seen in the area.
Yesterday a Swallow was seen hanging around at Slades Farm, and every summer this is a breeding site for the species. The Swallow in question looked like it was in it’s first full year (aged by a shallower forked tail), and it’s quite likely that it was born here in 2017 – it’s incredible to think that, less than a year old, it’s competed a 12,000-mile roundtrip to South Africa back!
Plenty of birds are now in full spring mode. One delightful recent colonist in Surrey is the tiny Firecrest – this exquisite little bird has spread northwards in the last few decades in correlation with global warming, and its song, reminiscent of a spinning coin, can be heard at several places around the Wintershall Estate. It’s often the best way of detecting one too, as they’re truly energetic and can be hard to pin down.
Another exotic local species is the Mandarin Duck. This bird originates from East Asia, but after several escapes in the early 20th century, a stable, wild breeding population has set up base in the UK. Unusually for ducks they nest in trees, and April is a great time to spot them as pairs fly around woods and fields looking for suitable nest holes.
Another site for sore, wintry eyes, is the first emergence's of butterflies. In the last week, on the warmer days, this has taken place – Brimstones, Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells have all been recorded.
Bird migration has been slow going, thanks to the poor start to spring, but this hasn’t stopped some more unusual visitors passing through. You may think that night time is all about Owls, but it’s not the case – in fact the majority of birds choose to migrate after dark.
One remarkable discovery, thanks to recording equipment being set up on a still night, was the sound of a small flock of Common Scoters flying over Allden's Hill. This deep-sea duck is extremely rare inland, and would have been passing at night en route to their Scandanavian and Russian breeding grounds.
I wonder if spring has anymore surprises up its sleeve?
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| Drake Mandarin. |
Yesterday a Swallow was seen hanging around at Slades Farm, and every summer this is a breeding site for the species. The Swallow in question looked like it was in it’s first full year (aged by a shallower forked tail), and it’s quite likely that it was born here in 2017 – it’s incredible to think that, less than a year old, it’s competed a 12,000-mile roundtrip to South Africa back!
Plenty of birds are now in full spring mode. One delightful recent colonist in Surrey is the tiny Firecrest – this exquisite little bird has spread northwards in the last few decades in correlation with global warming, and its song, reminiscent of a spinning coin, can be heard at several places around the Wintershall Estate. It’s often the best way of detecting one too, as they’re truly energetic and can be hard to pin down.
Another exotic local species is the Mandarin Duck. This bird originates from East Asia, but after several escapes in the early 20th century, a stable, wild breeding population has set up base in the UK. Unusually for ducks they nest in trees, and April is a great time to spot them as pairs fly around woods and fields looking for suitable nest holes.
 |
| Singing Firecrest. |
Bird migration has been slow going, thanks to the poor start to spring, but this hasn’t stopped some more unusual visitors passing through. You may think that night time is all about Owls, but it’s not the case – in fact the majority of birds choose to migrate after dark.
One remarkable discovery, thanks to recording equipment being set up on a still night, was the sound of a small flock of Common Scoters flying over Allden's Hill. This deep-sea duck is extremely rare inland, and would have been passing at night en route to their Scandanavian and Russian breeding grounds.
I wonder if spring has anymore surprises up its sleeve?
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