April 2009

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This is the month when the countryside really comes to life with a burst of bird nesting; a fresh green haze of new leaves in the woods; the first wild flowers and the return of birds which have spent the winter in Africa and the Mediterranean and are back in the woods, gardens and countryside to pair, establish territories and nest.

Birdwatchers will be looking for the first of returning sand martins, house martins and swallows. Abberton Reservoir is a staging point for all of these as there are always insects over the water and reedbeds as the birds rest and refuel after long and often hazardous migratory flights. Before the end of the month warblers will be back in woods, spinneys and hedgerows and the pulsating notes of male nightingales will again be heard in their favourite nest areas especially Essex Wildlife trust's Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve and in the woods along the Roman River Valley.

Woods at West Bergholt also have nesting pairs of nightingales, in particular the woodland Trust's Hillhouse Wood. This wood also has one of the finest displays of bluebells and wood anemones in Essex. The Friends of Hillhouse Wood are holding an open afternoon on Saturday, April 25, 2pm when spring flowers, including early purple orchids, many bird species and some butterflies can be seen (the latter weather permitting of course). I will be leading nature walks in the wood with my naturalist colleague Philip Smith. There will be other woodland walks to see wild flowers and birds during the month in nature reserves and in private woodlands so keep a look-out for adverts in the press and on the Internet.

Below: Many woods in NE Essex have a carpet of wood anemones (wind flowers) in April. Photo Joe Firmin

Roe deer and muntjac deer are being increasingly seen in Colchester area woodlands, farm fields and, in the case of muntjac, in town and village gardens where they are very damaging to plants and crops. I regularly see six or more roe deer in woods and in cereal fields at West Bergholt and Great Horkesley. On pastures and some farm fields lapwings will be nesting in April, the males engaged in their attractive, wheeling display flights and giving their famous "peewit” calls. In recent years there has been a serious decline in successful lapwing nesting in Essex mainly due to loss of suitable habitats and increased disturbances of one kind or another. In the old days, of course, when lapwings were common nesters, their eggs were gathered in large numbers and sold in the London markets as "plovers’ eggs".

Below: Roe deer are increasingly being seen in Essex Woods and fields, this is the buck. Groups of six or more can be seen at Gt Horkesley, Nayland and West Bergholt.

April sees the appearance of several butterfly species. Freshly emerged are green-veined whites, orange tips, small whites and speckled woods. From hibernation come peacocks, Commas, red admirals, brimstones and small tortoiseshells. We were very pleased in March to see a good number of small tortoiseshell which survived the winter especially as in the past five years this once very common species has suffered a serious fall in population. Reasons could include parasitism of larvae as well as unfavourable climatic spells such as cool, wet summers and wet, mild winters which favour disease.

Extras for April

A small attractive little flower to look for in local woods at bluebell time is the Moschatel or 'Town Hall Clock' as the flower heads have four faces.

Nuthatch returns to Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt

Nuthatches are now considered scarce woodland birds in Essex so there was excitement when Philip Smith, during a fungas foray in the wood in October 2008, heard and saw one for the first time in many years. Confirmation of the Nuthatch's continued presence came on March 30 when Linda Firmin heard a male calling close to the October sighting giving rise to the hope that it may be returning to breed. More good news is that treecreepers are regularly being seen in Hillhouse and a pair nested in 2008.

Below: Nuthatch (top) and treecreeper.

Area sightings latest

By the third, week of April some days of sunshine and higher temperatures brought welcome sightings of freshly-emerged orange tip, speckled wood holly blue, small white and green-veined white butterflies as well of hibernated peacocks, red admirals, small tortoiseshell, comma and brimstone butterflies.

Among returning birds nightingales were back at Fingringhoe Wick, Friday Wood, and in woods at West Bergholt as well as many chiffchaffs, blackcaps and some willow warblers. Common terns were back at Abberton Reservoir by mid-April and there was a good scattering of swallow records. A cuckoo was heard at west Bergholt on April 20.

Swallows are returning from winter quarters in South Africa. They are also suffering from a loss of suitable nest sites and are affected by drought and other adverse climatic factors.

Look for returning sand martins in April after wintering in Africa. They nest in sand pits, Quarries and coastal cliffs.

Lapwings are now much scarcer as nesters in Essex, mainly due to habitat loss.

Look out for the common sandpiper as it returns to Abberton Reservoir and at lakes and estuaries.

There have been reassuring sightings of small tortoiseshell butterflies out of hibernation this spring after several uears decline.

A male orange tip nectaring on Lady’s Smock (cuckoo flower), a plant used for egg laying in April and May. The female doesn’t have any orange tips. Photo Ian Rose.

Early purple orchids are among flowers to be seen at Hillhouse Wood.

An indicator of old oak and beech woods is the yellow archangel, a member of the dead nettle family. Very attractive to insects in April and common in Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt.

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