Royston Wildlife Blog: UK Wildlife Sightings March 2023

March is a month of transition, as winter visitors disappear from our shores and the first summer visitors arrive from the south. This year, due to a combination of bad luck, bad planning, and my visit to Japan, I had missed out on seeing several wintering species including Brambling (!), Great Northern Diver, Bean Goose and Bewick's Swan. My attempts to see these and other species in March were frustrated by bad weather (50mm of rain in Royston in the first half of what is normally the driest month of the year here) and illness. However, I did manage a day out on the 2nd, visiting Cockley Cley (at least three Goshawks seen), Titchwell and Holkham. At the last venue I finally caught up with both Common and Velvet Scoters. Two of the latter species were seen and photographed in amongst around 1,000 of the former - the eagle-eyed may be able to make out two male Velvet Scoters (dark, pale wing patches) in amongst the Common Scoters in the image below.

Common and Velvet Scoters, Holkham Bay, 2 March

A long weekend in Folkestone (10-12th) with my partner produced Mediterranean gulls in Folkestone Harbour and some early Gannets, passing out at sea as they headed back to their breeding colonies. On the 15th I made my first trip of the year to the Suffolk coast, visiting Minsmere (Kittiwakes seen), Dunwich Heath (no sign of Dartford Warblers or even Stonechats) and finally Dunwich Beach, where I was able to track down a couple of Twite, a close relative of Linnets and Redpolls, which is a rare winter visitor to the east coast and a rare and declining breeder in the north and west of Britain. Despite their rather subdued colours, Twites are amongst my favourite birds - I wish them well.

Skylark, Dunwich Beach, 15 March

Twite, Dunwich Beach, 15 March

An 'own transport' RSPB Local Group visit to Abberton Reservoir and Tollesbury in Essex on the 19th (I led) provided lots of bird watching opportunities. Abberton was much quieter than when I visited in January, but the Long-tailed Duck and Black-necked Grebe (the latter now in summer plumage) were still present, whilst at least nine species of wader were feeding on the mud flats at Tollesbury at low tide. A Red-throated Diver was seen distantly out on the Blackwater Estuary. The very attractive Teal escape was still swimming with the mallards by the side of the Layer Breton causeway at Abberton. This bird clearly has lots of 'Baikal' inheritance, but differs in certain ways from a wild Baikal Teal - what is its - er - pedigree??

Teal 'escape', Abberton Reservoir: Baikal x What? 19 March

Female Goldeneye, Abberton Reservoir, 19 March

The following week proved to be a very frustrating one from a bird watching perspective, as I 'dipped' on a number of targets in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. My only success came at Hockwold Washes, adjacent to RSPB Lakenheath Fen, on the 22nd where I saw a pair of Garganey, as well as getting a rare view of a Cetti's Warbler in full song. The week was dominated, nationally, by numerous sightings of Alpine Swifts (normally an extremely rare visitor to our shores) being found at various locations including (for one morning) Amwell Gravel Pits. Needless to say, I missed out on this one as well! A visit to Wilstone Reservoir on the afternoon of the 29th provided me with my first hirundines of the year, as Sand Martins (est. 500) and Swallows (est. 200) streamed through in poor weather, lingering from time to time to feed over the water. A Yellow-legged Gull was bathing on the reservoir, whilst, in an adjacent field, a male Chinese Water Deer was pursuing a female. I was aware that this fifth species of UK wild deer had reached Wilstone, but this was my first Hertfordshire sighting. Allegedly, there are now more of this introduced species in the UK than there are in China, where numbers are dwindling. The male is easily distinguished by the tusks that come out of each side of his mouth.

Female (left) and Male Chinese Water Deer, Wilstone, 29 March

Sand Martin, Wilstone Reservoir, 29 March

Swallow in Flight, Wilstone Reservoir, 29 March

Rare Sunshine on the 30th prompted me to make a photographic half day visit to RSPB Titchwell Marsh. Marsh Harriers were very active, and I had good views of them, sometimes interacting, from the viewing point on the East Trail. Whilst females were around, most of the interactions appeared to be between rival, immature males. Perhaps they were squabbling over territory, although none of the interactions were particularly aggressive. Surprisingly few waders were out on the beach, but I did see at least five Common Eiders on the sea when I walked out to Thornham Point. A female Brambling, seen on the ground underneath the feeders, was my first of the year (see first line of this page).