Print pageSeasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Spring is always an interesting season where the last of the over-wintering birds overlap with the first of the spring arrivals. Look out for late bitterns around the pools and early sand martins hawking for flies over the reedbeds. Grey herons breed on the marsh; the birds here are unusual in that they nest in the reeds rather than in trees.
Warblers start arriving to join the resident Cetti's warblers and the over-wintering chiffchaffs; look out for willow, sedge and reed warblers and whitethroats on the reserve.
Summer
Summer is the season of luxuriant growth, yellow flag making a fine show against the green of this year's phragmites reeds. Damselflies and dragonflies are abundant over the marsh. Look out for young warblers in the marsh and willows as well as the young of the resident birds such as stonechats and linnets.
By August, many species will have started their autumn migration - this is the last chance you will have to see any swifts. Martins and swallows, however, start to gather in some numbers on a quiet warm evening and descend into the reedbeds to roost.
Autumn
Autumn brings migrants from the north; look for wheatears and meadow pipits in the 'Sanctuary Area'. Look out for little egrets in the pools and water rails (or even the very rare spotted crake) in the muddier areas at the base of the reedstems.
Overhead, late-departing swallows and martins are hawking flies and feeding up in readiness for their flight south over the Channel. This an exciting time of year in west Cornwall - be prepared to expect the unexpected! By October, the first starlings start to come to roost in the reedbed, a precursor to the much larger gatherings later in the year although they do not always stay here.
Winter
In some years you can see the major spectacle of the starling roost up to the Christmas/New Year period on the reserve, when there can be several thousand individuals coming in for sanctuary in the reedbed. This is when their predators show up in the form of sparrowhawks and buzzards.
However, starling flocks move regularly, please get in touch with the reserve before visiting, and please be aware that the starlings do not roost here every year. Winter is the time to look for bittern along the reed edges but the most common sightings of this bird are when they fly between fishing sites. Look out for the wintering chiffchaffs, of which there can often be more than 20 birds on the reserve; the greyer individuals are from continental Europe. Also at the base of the reeds, look for water rails, moorhens and coots