February 2009

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It's the tail end of winter but there are already signs of Spring on the way with the tassles of male catkins dancing in the wind; snowdrops, aconites and a few precocious crocuses in the garden. When there's a respite from frosts and icy blasts from north—easterly winds, mistle thrushes, song thrushes, robins and dunnocks give us some cheerful bursts of song as they begin to establish their nest area territories.

There's increasing activity in rookeries on mild days in February with nest repairs and plenty of courtship display and raucous cawings. Like other members of the crow clan the wily rook is an adaptable survivor and the Essex rookeries are still widespread and strong with quite a number of new colonies. Not far from Abberton Reservoir are nests which have been built remarkably low in surviving elm trees and the birds aren't at all worried by the constant passage of vehicles so close to the swaying tree tops.

Birdwatchers continue to get good views of drake and duck smew at Abberton Reservoir as well of a few goosanders and the more patient observers have been rewarded by views of a couple of bitterns which have overwintered in the reedbeds on the Layer Breton side. Sometimes, too, a water rail has been seen near the sluice sill next to the Layer Breton causeway.

Visitors to Cudmore Grove Country Park have also seen water rails at the edge of the pond overlooked by the hide and up to six snow buntings were still along the shore at Cudmore early in February. In the third week of January when there was an occasional sunny day, red admirals came out of their hibernation hideaways only to be caught out by a quick reversion to freezing tempeatures. Ian rose had one flying in his garden at Mistley and on the same day he disturbed a peacock butterfly which had been hibernating among some logs he had stackpiled for firewood. A few moths are on the wing on mild nights in February and Reg Arthur, who runs his moth lamp even in winter nights, reported a male winter moth; two male early moths and a pale brindled beauty in his St Osyth garden before the end of January. I have also had a report of a spring usher which is another species which braves the chills.

From mid February and into March the expanding golden catkins of sallow (goat willow) are a valuable nectar source for bees and butterflies which have come out of hibernation and, after dark, for many moth species. If you live in an area where there are well—grown sallow bushes it's rewarding on mild nights to search the sallow blooms with a torch and see the moths jostling to get the nectar, their eyes gleaming like little rubies.

Since last November a male blackcap has been visiting our garden in West Bergholt feeding on fat balls and fat in coconut shells hung up on trees and bird feeders, sometimes he is joined by a female blackcap which has a chestnut "cap" in contrast to the male's black cap. These warblers come from the Continent, mostly Holland or Germany, whereas our summer nesting blackcaps go south to southern Europe, the Mediterranean, or north Africa. "Our" breeding blackcaps return in April and the males' fluty song is a beautiful sound in local woods and large gardens. This winter there have been many reports of wintering blackcaps in Essex gardens and visits to feeders which have ensured the birds’ survival during several very cold spells.

Update 10/02/08

A welcome break in the long spell of cold weather on February 8 produced a sunny and windless day for CNHS members for their visit to the RSPB Old Hall Marshes reserve, Tollesbury. they also enjoyed some bonus birdwatching with sightings of a spoonbill, a great northern diver, a merlin, four marsh harriers and thousands of brent geese, wigeon, golden plovers and lapwings.

They also got some telescope images of a sow wild boar, "Miss Piggy", which has been in the reserve's reedbeds and tracts of marshland for several years being one of a number of wild boar which escaped from a farm to the west of the reserve. She is the sole survivor but seems happy in her marshy habitat, though obviously lonely for her own kind

Two bitterns have wintered among the reedbeds on the Layer Bretton side of Abberton Reservoir, sometimes seen in flight.

February sees great activity in Essex rookeries as the birds repair nests and engage in noisy courtship rituals. A number of new colonies have been established in recent years and during winter there are big joint roosts with jackdaws.

These moths are flying during mild mights in February. From top to bottom: pale brindled beauty, spring usher; early moth

A water rail has regualrly been seen on the edge of reeds next to Abberton Reservoir's Layer Bretton causeway.

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