Spring has arrived...

Spring has arrived! The days are longer and warmer, and the light is (usually) better. Slowly we're getting used to the change in the seasons - it's not just how we feel about Spring; it's the gradual disappearance of the winter wildfowl, and the excitement of the reappearance of old friends.

Here we have Black-tailed Godwits in their breeding plumage, showing off their red heads and breasts. In the middle of a long row of council houses is a gate leading to the allotments - and to a large scrape where these Blackwits roost over high-tide, sometimes almost a thousand of these large waders. Alongside the scrape is a local nature reserve, with pond, a wooded area, and (that rarest of things) a scrub area, with gorse, brambles, and small trees; just what is needed for warblers.

 

Happily posing for us near Leasowe is this common warbler - a chiffchaff. These can be present all year round, but really make their present felt when they begin singing their distinctive song. Really they should be called chiff-chiff-chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff-chaff-chiff's, but that's a bit of a mouthful.

And shortly after the chiffchaff begin to sing, the wheatears start to pass through. They stop off in the horse paddocks as they rest during their journey northwards.

 

Ranging a little further afield ourselves, we headed off to the Great Orme, a delightful place to see sea birds, and then on the plateau there all sorts of migrating birds passing through, as well as a wide selection of  scavengers.

Here we have a Jackdaw, checking out the area around the cafe. These intelligent birds are highly social, and are usually found in groups. Great Orme also hosts the Chough, another member of the corvid family, with a thin red beak that is used to probe the soil; when I get a decent picture, it'll appear here, I promise!

During the spring migration, the plateau is often full of resting migrants, here a male Stonechat. I don't think I've seen so many stonechats in one place before, often seen perching on a higher twig above the scrub to watch what is happening around. Meadow pipits are another common visitor at this time of year.

Listen carefully near the cliffs, and you may hear a low 'gronk' noise; not the chatter of the Jackdaws, not the angry 'craw' of the crow. This is the sound of a much beefier bird, the raven, largest of the corvid family. Usually seen soaring in the sky, I managed to find this one perched on top of a cliff overlooking the road.

 

Returning closer to home, in the last ten days or so, we have the joy of seeing a pair of Gagraney arrive at our local RSPB reserve. Usually they are only present for a say or two as they pass through, but this pair seems quite settled - perhaps they will stay, and breed here. Only time will tell. The male especially is highly distinctive with the grey side panel and bright white curved eye stripe. Head on the effect is quite dramatic, and the bird really stands out.

Meanwhile, overhead soar a pair of buzzards, softly 'mewing' as they go by. While they will take smaller birds, buzzards generally look for something to scavenge, the same kind of diet as the corvids, which does mean they are in competition, and can lead to corvids mobbing buzzards and other birds of prey, trying to force them from the area. In this case all was calm, and we could enjoy the view of this pair lazily scanning for supper.

 

Another spring returnee is the blackcap. Very distinctive once seen, the male has a black top, while the female has a brown top. They make a call somewhat like two stones being tapped together.

When we go Martinmere, the local WWT centrw, we usually keep to the 'wild' side of the reserves. Recently, though, we went there with some friends, a perfect excuse to spend some time looking through the 'captive' side of the centre.

Here we found some Baikal Teal, a brightly marked bird from the far east. Over winter one was seen on the Southport marshes, resulting in a lot of interest. The jury is still out as to whether it was a genuine wild bird, or an escapee from a private collection.

Equally well decorated is this male Mandarin duck. These dapper ducks are not native to this country, but sufficient have escaped and bred that there is a small but established population, and can be found locally.

The delight of the trip was this African gry-crowned crane - his fuzzy head gear looked most impressive, and gave him an expression of curiousity that matched how we felt looking at him!