Nature flouts lockdown shock

 

We might still be enduring our third lockdown, albeit with a prime ministerial roadmap out of it, and punctured arms, to give us some hope that an end is in sight (unless there are diversions on the road, or the Satnav is up the spout). Nature however recognises no such restrictions, and is going full tilt at the only thing it knows. Responding to the stimuli of increasing day lengths and wildly fluctuating temperatures, it has decreed that Spring is under way. Last Spring many people discovered nature as if for the first time, so this year there will be the welcome feeling of recognition of old or perhaps newly made friends reappearing.

Speaking of which, today’s weather was again glorious, after a cold night, and a walk across the Common yielded 17 bird species. These included the singing of my first chiffchaff of the year (presumably one of the growing number that find it possible to stay all winter, although our cold snap will have come as a shock). Also singing were chaffinch, dunnock, goldcrest (again, how does something so tiny survive freezing days and nights?), great tit, robin and wren. The highlight for me was a female sparrowhawk soaring above the sewage works at the end of Warren Road, where a grey wagtail had been spotted earlier in the day. Hazel catkins were dangling in the light breeze…

Just to prove winter’s not all over yet, siskins were twittering high in the alders beside Fox’s Beck, not having felt the need to move on to summer quarters yet, and Snowdrops are still in flower.

A garden very close to School Common, benefitting from the unstoppable Beck running through it, has had some exciting birds visit it during the harsh winter weather. Four snipe, two woodcock, one water rail, two little egrets, two herons and most excitingly a great white egret all put in an appearance. The record for the great white egret is a wonderful first! It dropped in on Valentine’s Day and posed for its portrait to be taken by a remote camera. They have the most remarkable long necks that look as though it’s possible to put a knot in them (not the knot that's a small wader famous for its massive murmurations - that would be silly), although swallowing fish would then be tricky. No doubt they’re careful to avoid that.

The lockdown has of course made a mess of our cutting programme. We had begun to cut part of the main area of reedbed just before everything ground to a halt, and it looks very much as if the remainder will have to wait until next winter. Here’s how it looks at the moment.

It is scheduled to be cut every four years, so leaving two thirds of that section for a fifth year might make for tough working when we are finally able to deal with it. Mind you, if we were working on it now, we would get very wet!

We have had word from our NWT warden that some limited working groups might be possible from the end of March, but that will probably be too late for that particular job. However, it’s encouraging that we might be able to resume some working if the ‘roadmap’ doesn’t take a wrong turn. Meanwhile, nature will be working full time, and if you can get to the Common for a spot of socially distanced exercise, I do hope you enjoy it.