It's Spring for Wildlife

It may be the end of February, with the first frosts and snow flurries of this mild winter, but the lengthening daylight hours are the key to nature activity.

As I write this, spring activity has kick started for wildlife.

The local red kites have already started to mate, an activity they will keep up for two weeks.

The resident female otter is now very active, accompanied by only one juvenile this winter, about half her size.

The local woodpeckers have for the past week been drumming on dead branches for most of the day, marking their territories.

Songbirds have commenced their morning singing both to attract mates, and declare their intended breeding territory. First as always is the great tit, joined quickly by the robin, blue tit, coal tit, dunnock, thrush, wren, and followed up by chaffinch, sparrows, and blackbirds that seem to need practice before their full melodic song is perfected.

In mid February my male pied wagtail arrived back from wintering on the coast.

I say “my wagtail” because there was no mistaking who he was, as he landed at my feet and ran ahead of me to the garage door chirping noisily.

For the past 4 years I have fed this male daily through the spring and summer with dried mealworms at the garage door, when as soon as I step out the door in the mornings he flies down and runs ahead of me to the garage door, and feeds at my feet. His mate/ mates have never been so confiding, never coming closer than 10 feet.

They have had breeding success in the woodpile and stone walls, losing only one brood to a stoat, and another to a jay. He must be an old guy at 5 years old at least, so here’s hoping he makes it through this summer.

The water rails have come out of the deeper reed beds, to feed closer to the ditches and drier margins. I guess they do this to form larger breeding territory than they need for themselves in the winter.

A juvenile swan (cygnet) has taken up residence at the fishery.

In 23 years we have only had a swan land once before. The disturbance of anglers all around is usually too much for them, and they go again after a few days. This suits us, as the cob swan is very aggressive in the breeding season, and would hassle anglers continuously.