Local Wildlife Sightings April 2022

 Cold weather in the first week, combined with strong winds on the 6th and 7th (which almost blew the garden fencing down) brought migration from the south to a virtual halt, whilst winter visitors had largely departed in March. An early wheatear was seen near Ashwell on the 2nd, whilst a few immature large gulls were seen at Hatchpen Farm, including a probable 3rd winter yellow-legged gull. A very windy walk round the villages on the 7th produced a pair of tufted ducks and a little grebe at Phillup's Lake and a flock of around 50 fieldfares at Hatchpen Farm, where there was some mining bee activity. A few lapwings were still hanging on at the NE corner of Greys Farm.

Tufted Ducks, Phillups Lake, Reed End, 7 April

There was a big change in the weather from the 8th and by the 13th we were basking in the sun and temperatures of 18-20C. Common migrant birds flooded into the region over the next week, with blackcaps, in particular, becoming widespread and common. After dropping my car off for repair near Rushden on the 12th I walked back along footpaths to Royston (around 10 miles), seeing my first willow warbler of the year near Blagrove Common nature reserve, as well as green-veined and orange tip butterflies. A wheatear was seen in a field near Chapel Green. Further singing willow warblers (now essentially a passage migrant in the Royston area) were seen at the west end of Therfield Heath on the 15th and at the Newsells Stud Farm on the 18th. A wheatear was at Greys Farm on the 15th and four swallows were back at Hatchpen Farm on the 18th. One swallow showed interesting behaviour, standing on the cattle grid at the entrance to the farm before dropping down under the grid and re-emerging around 20 seconds later. Was it looking for invertebrate food or nesting material? There was an excellent display of pasque flowers through the first half of the month on Church Hill. Six butterfly species (brimstone, comma, green-veined white, orange tip, peacock and small tortoiseshell) were seen on a 'there and back' walk with my partner up the Icknield Way to the 'Fox and Duck' in Therfield on the 17th.

Pasque Flowers on the side of Church Hill, 11 April

Female Green-veined White Butterfly, Fox Covert, 11 April

Another visit to Amwell, on the morning of the 14th, was rewarded with sightings of my first sedge warblers and common whitethroat of the year, although there was no sign of the reported cuckoo. After getting good views of a singing Cetti's warbler near the edge of Hollycross Lake I walked back across the field towards the gate leading to the main track, only to be confronted with the sight of a barn owl, sitting on a dead tree stump around 50 yards away! It stayed whilst I scrabbled to get my camera out and even allowed me to get a little closer before eventually flying away. Sadly, my images revealed that it was an injured bird, having lost one eye and showing some other damage. Although barn owls hunt mainly using their acute hearing, I fear that this bird will struggle to survive in the wild for long.

Barn Owl, Amwell, 14 April, Showing its 'Good Side'

One-eyed Barn Owl, Amwell, 14 April

As more and more insects were emerging I spent some time at Hatchpen Farm, photographing and trying to identify the mining bees and their cleptoparasites that live there. Both male and female hairy-footed flower bees were identified from photographs, as were male and female armed melecta bees, which parasitise the hairy-footed flower bees. Nearby, a couple of Gooden's nomad bees were seen These parasitise a variety of andrena mining bees, although none of these could be found at the site. Whether there is any relationship between the nomad bee and the other species seen remains to be clarified: I must do some more research into their interactions.

Female Armed Melecta Bee, Reed, 18 April

Male Armed Melecta Bee, Reed, 18 April

Female Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Reed, 18 April

Male Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Reed, 18 April

Gooden's Nomad Bee, Reed, 18 April

I do the vast majority of my local bird watching on my own, but I can't cover all of my 'local patch' by myself on a very regular basis. Fortunately there are other bird watchers who cover local sites. I am grateful to Doug Radford (who found the bird) and Andy Symes (for spreading the news) when a female ring ouzel was found on the side of Church Hill on the 25th. I saw and photographed the bird the following day and it was still present when I visited again on the 29th. Ring ouzels are spring passage migrants, which stop off in the Royston area almost every year (but none seen in 2021!). This bird was probably heading to Scandinavia, although they nest in upland areas as close to us as the Peak District. Later on the 26th I visited Phillup's Lake in Reed End, where swallows and house martins were feeding over the water and three pairs of Canada geese were showing aggression and chasing each other around the lake.

Female Ring Ouzel, Church Hill, 26 April

Canada Goose Aggression, Phillup's Lake, 26 April

House Martin about to catch a Fly (near top right), Phillup's Lake, 26 April

UK Wildlife Sightings April 2022

 Car problems (I eventually had a new clutch and gearbox fitted) restricted my movements in the early part of the month, although I did manage to get away to Suffolk for the weekend with my partner (in her car) from the 8th to the 10th. On one of our walks we passed RSPB Minsmere reserve, where I added a new species (barnacle goose!) to my year list but, with bird migration 'on hold' due to northerly winds in the UK and storms in France, I wasn't missing out on anything exciting. However, the weather improved considerably from the 10th, with temperatures reaching 20C by the 13th, and the common migrant species came flooding in to the country. With the car repaired I visited a couple of Hertfordshire 'hot spots', Amwell and the Tring reservoirs, on the 14th. I classify Amwell as 'local' (see my concurrent blog post for April), whereas the more distant Tring reservoirs yielded a swallow (my first hirundine of the year!), around 20 common terns (at Startops End) and, bizarrely, a pink-footed goose (a very rare winter visitor to Hertfordshire) at Wilstone, where I was able to photograph it both on the reservoir and in an adjoining field.

Common Tern in Flight, Startops End Reservoir, 14 April

Two Little Egrets, Wilstone Reservoir, 14 April

Pink-footed Goose, Wilstone Reservoir, 14 April

I visited the Pegsdon Hills reserve on the following evening, partly to do a reconnaissance for a forthcoming RSPB walk and partly to look for ring ouzels, which had been reported there. After much searching I managed to see a male bird, close to the top of Deacon Hill. Two visits to Fingringhoe Wick EWT reserve, on the 19th and 24th, followed. Fingringhoe Wick, situated near Colchester on the estuary of the River Colne, is renowned for its high population of nightingales. My visit on the 19th was a 'recce' for the RSPB Local Group coach trip on the 24th. Nightingales were seen and (more importantly) heard on both visits, with all the RSPB Local Group members being able to see at least one nightingale on the coach visit - success! I also saw a whimbrel on both occasions and, on the 24th, insect sightings included green hairstreak butterfly, large red damselfly and scorpion fly.

Green Hairstreak Butterfly, Fingringhoe Wick EWT, 24 April

Nightingale, Fingringhoe Wick EWT, 24 April

Record Shot of Whimbrel, Fingringhoe Wick EWT, 19 April

Another warm, sunny day on the 21st saw me at RSPB Titchwell Marsh again, where I added Temminck's stint and Sandwich tern to my year list. I had hoped to take more images of sanderling for one of my photographic projects but the birds proved rather flighty. However, several ringed plovers, outside the roped-off nesting area near Thornham Point, proved more obliging, as did a flyover marsh harrier.

Marsh Harrier, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 21 April

Ringed Plover, Thornham Point, 21 April

April was an extremely dry month, with no rain in Royston after the 8th. However, as the month progressed the wind swung round again to the north and conditions became cooler and cloudier. Bird migration slowed down again, too. I did manage one more outing, to RSPB Lakenheath Fen on the 28th, where I was able to add hobby, cuckoo, reed warbler and greenshank to my year list. A garganey was seen on the Hockwold Washes, where an impressive selection of waders included avocets, three male ruff in breeding plumage and both bar-tailed (an inland rarity) and black-tailed godwits.

Male Garganey, RSPB Lakenheath Fen, 28 April

Singing Sedge Warbler, RSPB Lakenheath Fen, 28 April

Singing Whitethroat, RSPB Lakenheath Fen, 28 April