Colchester Natural History Society

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Watching Wildlife				Hillhouse Wood

April 2008

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April brings a rush of migrant birds returning from winter quarters in Africa and the Mediterranean some heading for nesting sites on northern moors, dales and hills, others coming back to our local woods, meadows and marshes. Chiff chaffs and willow warblers are now well distributed in the north Essex woodlands and spinneys and by the end of April nightingales will be back in their local strongholds especially Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve; the woodlands along the Roman River valley south of Colchester and at Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt. In late April and into May the pulsating notes of these celebrated songsters can be heard both by day and night.

Also back after their winter in the African sun are blackcaps, whitethroats and garden warblers. Some blackcaps spend the winter with us even coming to garden bird tables but ringing has shown that most of these originated in mainland Europe flying westwards to eastern England while our summer-nesting blackcaps fly south to sunnier climes for winter.

Spring Wild flowers will give us a glorious display with woodland carpets of bluebells, wood anemones, yellow archangel, dog's mercury and campions. One of the finest show of bluebells is at Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt which is owned by the Woodland Trust but is managed by a group of local volunteers from the Friends of Hillhouse Wood. If you want to see the spring wild flowers, butterflies and birds you may care to join me and Philip Smith on Sunday, April 20, meet at Old Church, West Bergholt next to West Bergholt Hall at 10 am. We will also be leading nature walks on the afternoon of Saturday, April 26, when the Friends of hillhouse Wood has its popular bluebells and spring nature afternoon. Meet at the entrance to the wood for guided walks. If the weather is fine and sunny you will be almost guaranteed to see freshly—emerged spring butterflies such as orange tip, speckled wood, green-veined white and holly blue as well as hibernated species such as peacock, comma, small tortoiseshell and red admiral. And, of course, there will be the bird songsters: chiffchaff, blackcap, garden warbler and nightingale.

By the third week of April swallows and house martins should be back at their nesting sites. Both species are suffering from a loss of suitable places to build their nests such as open barns and cart lodges in the case of swallows and appropriate wall space Binder eaves for the martins.

In February and March and into April birdwatchers at Abberton Reservoir were thrilled to catch glimpses of bitterns in the reedbeds to the west of the Layer Breton causeway. It is believed that up to three were present. Also into early April drake and female smew were still present and there was also a red-necked grebe.

Whitethroats will be back along hedgerows and the males delighting with their dancing song flights.

Look for returning house martins by mid month. Unfortunately modern house design is limiting suitable under eave nest positions.

Orange tips will be on the wing in April. Pictured is the male but the female lacks the conspicuous orange wing tips. Females lay their eggs on garlic mustard and cuckoo flower (lady smock).

By end of Month male nightingales will be setting up their territories in local woods and spinneys. You can hear their wonderful songs both by day and night with "hot spots" being Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve;
the woods along the Roman River valley south of Colchester and also at
Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt.