Feb 6th Strumpshaw Fen

Female Reed Bunting

There's a feeling of spring in the air today. It was much lighter than it has been when I arrived to Strumpshaw this morning and it was much milder, too. Reed buntings were now starting to sing across the reserve, a sign that spring must be here already, as long as winter doesn't make a sudden return that is. A small group of females gave me a close encounter as at least three of them were trying their best to ignore me as they continued to feed on the reed heads a short distance from where I was standing along the Sandy Wall. One was even bold enough to continue her search on the path itself right in front of me! They may not be as spectacularly handsome as the male, but it was a lovely encounter nonetheless.

This Coot was splashing on this mound to attract his mate's attention

Fen Hide provided very little except for 3 Chinese water deer, a mute swan and a pair of coot that mated on a mound that I presumed was where their nest will be built. The strangest thing that I noticed about the mating was that the male was stamping his feet on the potential nest site causing some splashing and it was as if it was to attract her attention to get over to where he was. It worked as she swam over, got into position and did the deed. It was over in a flash.

Doing the deed

Chinese Water Deer

Mute Swan

Pheasant

Scarlet Elfcap

I made a quick walk in the woods before I started my shift and I discovered that there were more scarlet elfcaps and snowdrops than there were before. The snowdrops covered one small corner of the woods in a slightly showy display, while the elfcaps were a little less easy to spot, but once I got my eye in, I realised that I was standing on some that I didn't spot before and soon found myself surrounded by them. These small red fungi were appearing beneath me like magic.



Snowdrops

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Greylag Geese

Greylag geese had taken over the broad outside the Reception Hide today, supported by the usual cast of gadwall, shovelers, mallards, teal and coot. The honking of these noisy geese was a big part of the soundtrack for most of the morning, though there was a brief break from their racket around lunchtime as they all decided to fly to elsewhere for a bit, but they did eventually return a short while later along with their honking. But it was the sound of mewing buzzards that broke through their noise and caught my attention to the max as several individuals were circling high above performing aerial courtship dances alongside a few sky dancing marsh harriers and a pair of sparrowhawks. Love was in the air, high in the air.

Cobber the Black Swan

Cobber chasing a Mute Swan

Marsh Harrier and wildfowl

Buzzards



Cormorant