March arrived with beautiful blue skies and sunshine. However cold and frosty nights meant that shady areas stayed frozen until lunchtime. Primroses and Celandines were enjoying the sun in North Park and the Daffodils in the Orchard had begun flowering.
A Sparrowhawk was spotted flying along the Apprentice Path on the 2nd. On the 3rd the ground had dried out enough from the February deluge to allow Harry to resume the groundworks for the 3rd field shelter in North Park.
On the 4th 30 birds were seen on the feeders in Kiln Close including 6 Long Tailed Tits, 2 Blackbirds, a Nuthatch and a Chaffinch. A Red Admiral butterfly was seen flying over the car park.
At 20 past 6 on the morning of the 7th the trail camera picked up six Mandarin Ducks on the pond before it got light, 4 males and two females. Later that day Daniel and Harry lead 7 people on a Winter Bird Walk. The highlights were: Marsh Tit, 8 Siskin, male Bullfinch, Grey Heron, 2 Pied Wagtail, Kestrel and a female Mandarin on the Flo Pond. There were two pairs of Mandarin on the pond at about 5pm. One pair were really steady, the other flew off down the valley. At 8am on the 10th the camera picked up some footage of two male Mandarin Ducks and one female on the Flo Pond. One solitary female was seen again standing on the edge of the island late afternoon.
Harry and volunteers Steve, Tim & Jane burnt up all the remaining brash from the hedge laying and in the orchard, they cleared remaining piles of brash around site & removed the last 2/3 sections of sheet netting at the bottom of Forde Orchard on the 11th. The old bird crop area was ploughed up for the years winter bird food crop on the 12th and on the 13th Harry and volunteers Steve, Wicktoria & Eliza built a substantial tree guard near the cross roads for a ceremonial tree planting at the end of the month when David, our current Head of Conservation, retires.
The first Chiffchaffs of the year were heard on the 19th and 27 bird species were recorded on a site check, 19 Blue Tit, 13 Robins, 13 House Sparrow, 12 Chaffinch, 9 Pied Wagtail, 8 Woodpigeon, 7 Magpie, 6 Blackbird, 6 Carrion Crows, 6 Herring Gull, 5 Stock Dove, 4 Great Tit, 4 Jackdaw, 4 Goldfinch, 3 Siskin, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Dunnock, 2 Wren, 2 Bullfinch (pair), 2 Goldcrest, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Buzzard, 1m Stonechat, 1 Skylark, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Harry harrowed the ploughed winter bird food crop area and 20+ Herring Gull, 6 Carrion Crow, 6 Jackdaw, 6-10 Pied Wagtails and a Buzzard came to investigate.
On the 20th 2 Skylark (1 singing), 7 Meadow Pipit, f Stonechat, Peregrine Falcon, 5 Pied Wagtail. Butterflies: Peacock, Red Admiral, Brimstone and 3 Chiffchaff were recorded. On the 22nd Robin, Goldcrest, 3 House Sparrow, 2 Long Tailed Tit, 9 Great Tit and 9 Blue Tits were logged. The first Blackcaps were back on the 24th. A Male singing in rewilding area & near top field shelter in the Holly hedge. 20 Linnets flew out from last year’s winter bird crop. The Mandarins have been seen frequently on the Flo Pond and one day there were two pairs, one much steadier than the other. The Blackthorn is stubbornly still not in full bloom, Hawthorn leaves have burst especially in the laid hedges in the Orchard and North Park. A Marsh Tit and Firecrest were seen from the office overlooking the River Ashburn. A pair of Robins were nest building by river. A Crow flew off with, a Slow Worm, before dropping it above the solar panels.
The first Beefly of the year was seen on the 25th near the recently laid Pensland Lane hedge, Dog Violets were also in flower here and Primroses. Brimstone, Red Admiral and Peacock Butterflies were seen on the morning walk around and a Woodcock was flushed from the woodland. On the 26th a Firecrest was collecting nesting material from the Oak outside the office window. A Blackcap was singing in Corner Wood and 6 Chiffchaff were heard singing. A pair of Goldcrest were seen in the rewildling area and a Skylark was singing over the Main Field.