On Friday 30th April I led a guided walk from Manningtree Station to Cattawade Marshes and back. We saw and heard shedloads of migrant and residen birds along the way.
First off, we walked along the public footpath that runs from behind the station, heading west to a railway bridge. Once under the bridge we headed north through the grazing meadows and hedgerows. After a mile or so you come to the tidal river Stour at Cattawade Marshes SSSI, and we then headed back towards Manningtree along the public footpath to the south of the tidal river.
Our first birds were woodpigeons, robins, blue tits and greenfinches. We even saw a blue tit with an extended, curved bill. It was singing and appeared to be holding a territory so it must be doing OK. After that, mistle thrush, shelduck and long tailed tits put in an appearance.
Walking along the hedgerows we were expecting to see and hear lots of migrants, but the cold wind kept most birds quiet for a while. Eventually we came to the really dense stand of scrub just by the river wall, where it joins with the tidal river. This was jam-packed full of birds, including dunnock, bullfinch, whitethroat, sedge warbler, blackcap, blue tit, greenfinch and even a distant greater spotted woodpecker.
A couple of birders amled past, telling us that they'd seen and heard the grasshopper warbler in the reedbed at the western end of the marsh. We hadn't got time to take the hour-long detour required, but I've put a photo in the community pages to make up for missing it!
After that we saw the summer's first common terns flying lazily past, dozens of lapwing and redshank displaying on Cattawade, and 14 or so greenshank in various states of plumage lazing in a pool of water. We also added lesser whitethroat and reed warbler to our list of birds heard.
All in all a great morning out, with a final reminder that summer is not far away - 4 swifts flew over the marsh, and half a dozen housemartins were spotted hawking insects over a shallow pool.
Said to Didge (Asst Warden) - "we ought to keep our eyes open for swallows today, it'd be a good day to see one". Two seconds later two flew over our heads.
Bit of a cheat really, as it was the 6th April (so you'd expect to maybe see one) and it was over Cattawade, where you often see them first at this time of year.
Great feeling though, instant buzz of spring!
1st lapwing nests found, up to 12 nests yesterday
Finally the wood anemones are out! A bit of warmer weather brought them out just before the Easter weekend.
Our event on Easter Sunday attracted 110 children who all took part in the easter egg hunt quiz. We joined 4 people up as members of the RSPB, which was a welcome start to the financial year for our team.
Our contractors have done an excellent job in Stour Wood, coppicing approx. 2 hectares (4.5 acres), having worked in three plots around the wood this winter.
People often comment that it is a bit of a shocker when they see a coppice plot, but we are able to explain to them that there are major benefits to this form of woodland management:
Witouth coppicing Stour Wood would be nowhere near as rich in diverse wildlife, the sunny glades created really do improve the site for wildlife.
Felling the last remaining trees at our new wildlife garden at Flatford. Lots of visitors interested in the garden today. Hard work though, especially now it's warming up!
Also on Cattawade Marshes, 31 golden plover passing through (starting to get their breeding plumage) and we adjusted the main sluice to let a little water off to expose more grass and mud ready for the breeding lapwings that are displaying around the reserve already.