On a Dawn Chorus Walk on the 1st April our 7 visitors saw Blackbird, Mandarin Duck, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Tawny Owl (before most people arrived), Herring Gull,Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Linnet, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Jay, Red Kite and Buzzard. They also heard Great spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Wood Pigeon, Robin, House Sparrow, Wren, Goldfinch, Siskin, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and a Skylark took off in song flight, to the right of the Airstripand, there was lots of Toad spawn in the Flo Pond. Worth getting up for.
On the 2nd a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly seen basking in the rewilding area. Brimstones were being frequently spotted along with Peacocks and Red Admirals and on the 3rd A Skylark was seen and heard again around the Airstrip, this time more over to the left hand side.
24 bird species were recorded on the 4th, 15 Linnet (on the path by David’s Oak), 11 House Sparrow, 8 Robin, 7 Chiffchaff, 6 Goldfinch, 5 Blackcap, 5 Meadow Pipit, 4 Blackbird, 4 Chaffinch, 3 Buzzard, 3 Mandarin (2 male and 1 female) on the river, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Wren, 2 Mistle Thrush, a pair of Stonechat, female Kestrel, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Dunnock, 1 Coal Tit plus Blue & Great Tit, Crows, Herring Gull and a Woodpigeon.
By the 8th the Blackthorn was in full blossom, the orchard was coming into leaf, the first Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler were heard along apprentice path. Bluebells beginning to flower in scrub in Kiln Close.
On the 9th a moth trapping session recorded just 4 species, likely due to the cold overnight temperatures: Brindled Beauty, Hebrew Character, Clouded Drab and the Chestnut.
Broadcasting the winter bird food crop took place on the 10th, Staff and friends hand broadcast the crop and nectar strip. 3 Sparrowhawk were spotted over the crop, and later on a Kestrel was seen. Later in the day Harry harrowed the seed in. On the 11th Pip and Harry took down the electric fence from around last winter’s crop and moved it over to the new crop area. Two kestrels were hunting over the old bird crop which is now yellow with Forage Rape.
A bit of rain arrived on the 14th after 9 dry days, both Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler were heard opposite the Tractor Shed in the woodland. There were 2 male Mandarin on the Flo Pond, a male Stonechat, 3 Linnet and a female Kestrel in Main Field. The first Swallow of the year was seen in the late afternoon, a pair of Mandarin were by Tractor Shed on the river. A Marsh Tit was seen displaying in the neighbour’s wood. Nestbox Checks revealed 6 nests with eggs: 1 Nuthatch, 3 Great Tit, 2 other Tit. Three Mandarin drakes and one duck were seen and heard on the Trail camera on the Flo Pond at 8:30pm on the 15th.
More Swallow sightings on the 16th, including one displaying over Kiln Close in the afternoon. 2 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Willow Warbler were heard singing and a male Firecrest was displaying in the woodland. The Mandarin nestbox near the abstraction had a female in the box with 7 eggs. 11 people, including 5 children, joined us for our Spring Walk around the LLP. This was the first visit for all of them. Josh planted Oxeye Daisies into the new Beetle Bank. Along the top of the new bird food crop area. There were 18 Stock Doves on harrowed crop on the 17th, probably eating our seed! 3 Swallows were seen over the reserve. The Skylark was heard singing over the Main Field, there were 5 Siskin in Kiln Close. A Raven, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and 2 female Robins were also recorded.
Heavy rain has a dramatic and immediate effect on the river as we are so close to the moorland source. An inch and a half of rain (43mm) on the 15th and early hours of the 16th swelled the flow. The rain stopped at 6am on the 16th and by the morning of the 17th the river level had dropped considerably as you can see in the video. We had 53.6mm (over 22”) of rain on the 18th which swelled the river again.
The Mandarin Drake was seen on the Flo Pond sitting on a rock on both the 20th and the 21st and the Skylark was seen and heard constantly over the Airstrip on both days. The Apple trees in Forde Orchard were blossoming and the valley is turning green as the fresh leaves on the trees unfurl. The Bluebells in Corner Wood were beginning to flower.