I had kept an eye on the weather forecast and rain was heading our way so I was at Stanwick Lakes for a bit of spring-spotting at 0700 this morning. It was cold again – it felt like the weather had stepped back to early March from mid-April.
There was lots of song – Chiffchaffs everywhere! Surely, since my last visit on Wednesday morning, Spring would now have arrived a bit more certainly and there would be new songs to hear to mark the arrival of more species. I’d even seen that a few Cuckoos had been seen around the country over the last few days – you never know. But it wasn’t very Cuckoo-ey weather – I was glad of a fleece and a coat as protection against the wind, and rain looked a distinct possibility.
But within 10 minutes I had heard a Willow Warbler (although it turned out to be the only one of the day), pointed out a Swallow to a couple with binoculars, seen a flock of Sand Martins, heard some Blackcaps and seen a Common Tern. Yes, spring is uncoiling!
But it seems to be uncoiling in a gradual measured way- at least here at Stanwick Lakes in east Northants. There are still no Sedge Warblers in the reedbed (although I’m told Stanwick had a Sege Warbler a couple of days ago) and the Willow Warblers weren’t that obvious – given that I only hears one. A Little Ringed Plover flew over as another signal that it is early Spring still – not yet full Spring. Spring is still quite tightly coiled. Soon it must go ‘twang!’.
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I think it is the Government referendum in Malta tomorrow on the shooting of birds. Let’s hope it goes “twang” for the birds and Birdlife Malta as well. Good luck to them.