Nature Notes April 2023

Nature Notes April 2023

Sparham Pool, in the Wensum valley, is a sheltered spot when the wind is from the north, and can be a good place for early summer visitors, so we were not surprised to hear the cascading song of a Willow Warbler when we visited in early April. Chiffchaffs, which had returned a few weeks previously, were singing their monotonous little song all around the old gravel pit, but the single Willow Warbler was in the warmest hollow, where the Pussy Willow flowers were golden with pollen, attracting plenty of insects on which it could feed.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming on a hollow branch to warn others of its species to keep away from its territory, and Jackdaws were noisy about the mature trees which had suitable nesting holes. Much to our surprise, a large, and relatively nondescript tree that we had walked passed innumerable times, had put out its chunky catkins, revealing it to be a Hornbeam! The female catkins develop nut like fruit which are extremely hard and are the favourite food of the now rare Hawfinch.

There was plenty of activity on the water around the islands. A solitary Great-crested Grebe was still calling for a mate, while another pair already had a nest just offshore of one stony island where Black-headed Gulls were also paired up and raucously staking their claim to a nesting site. Unfortunately for both Grebe and Gulls, a pair of much larger Lesser Black-backed Gulls also appeared to be considering setting up home on the island, as they would make short work of any eggs or nestlings they found nearby. Two pairs of Coot were noisily disputing their territorial rights, while a drake Teal, our smallest duck, gave its distinctive ‘plink’ call from the reed bed at the sheltered end of the pit. Later we saw both male and female snapping up freshly emerged Alder Flies from the surface of the water.

Thank you to those of you who have sent in your own sightings. Susie was delighted to have frog spawn hatching in her pond and Judith and Rufus found a roadside bank smothered in Red and White Deadnettle, making a splendid display of colour. Plants don’t have to be rare to be spectacular. Muriel was very fortunate to see a pair of Common Cranes from the train as she passed Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve, where they breed, which was amazing.

Do let me know if you see any interesting wildlife (rachel.42rr@btinternet.com)