SWARLAND SNAPSHOTS – APRIL 2012
With frequent showers, a predominantly cold north wind and a burst of heavy rain during the latter days of the month producing copious standing water on saturated ground, this was more of a late February fill-dike than the hoped-for spring to follow on from a pleasantly mild March.
Whilst there has been little sign of spring migrants arriving here, apart from a sprinkling of Chiffchaffs in all the usual locations around the village and two Swallows briefly mid-afternoon on the 27th, activity around the feeding points has been brisk with seven finch species being the most prominent users. At the ringing site and other locations around the village up to a dozen of both Greenfinch and Chaffinch were noted daily. Up to half a dozen Goldfinches have also been present daily with as many as twenty reported from one garden. Siskins have been coming to feeders in pairs with most of the females caught having well developed brood patches clearly some are nesting locally; this was confirmed by capture of a newly fledged juvenile on the 30th; there has been no significant visible passage movement, as frequently seen during April in past years, but birds are passing through as confirmed by one carrying a Belgian ring caught today (30th). Lesser Redpolls, which had disappeared from the feeders early in March, returned during the last few days of this month; the birds here earlier in the year were probably migrants as one of those caught in January had been ringed in February 2011 at Thetford in Norfolk, whilst those appearing now may well be from our small local breeding population. At least three pairs of Bullfinch continue to be regular visitors to the feeding points here. A single male Brambling was reported from a nearby garden on the 17th, then an unfamiliar “trilling” song was heard on three mornings 23rd to 25th which, from a CD of European birdsongs, was identified as of this species and a male bird was seen here with the Chaffinches on 26th and 27th.
The first fledgling Blackbird was seen, being looked after by the female, on 21st and has managed to survive until the end of the month. An interesting example of co-operative behaviour in Robins was observed this morning; a pair approached the bird table but only one (probably the male) went on to collect a substantial beakful of food which it then passed on to its partner waiting a yard away, before returning for a further beakful upon which both flew off together, presumably to feed their brood.
A small flock of Jackdaws gathered on one grass field, 42 on the 8th and 58 on the 10th. Black-headed Gulls began assembling on the same field with 142 early evening on the 8th, 200+ on the 9th then between 60 and 100 during the day from 11th to 23rd. A Barn Owl was seen in the evenings during the first ten days of the month and three Cranes were seen flying over from the northwest towards the coast in the evening of the 17th.
There has been little to comment on in respect of insect activity; small numbers of all four of the common bumblebees, White-tailed, Buff-tailed, Red-tailed and Carder, a few 7-Spot Ladybirds and one 2-Spot Ladybird on the 13th with a solitary Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on the 27th.
Dave Makepeace.