May 2011

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May is one of the most rewarding months in the naturalist’s calendar. Woods are bright with spring flowers and butterflies and it sees the return of our summer breeding birds which are back from wintering in Africa and the Mediterranean.

The remarkably high temperatures before and during Easter in April, sometimes reaching as high as 240C, brought forward blooming of bluebells and other woodland wild flowers as well as newly-emerged and hibernated butterflies. Orange tips and holly blue butterflies were in larger numbers than usual and emerged earlier along with green-veined whites and speckled woods. Brimstone butterflies were seen in larger than usual numbers from late March and throughout April and there were reassuring numbers of other species out of hibernation: small tortoiseshells; peacocks and commas. Some red admirals were either early immigrants or hibernators. A painted lady seen by Nigel Rayner at West Bergholt before Easter was almost certainly a very early immigrant.

 

Another special local butterfly which is on the wing in May is the green hairstreak, the caterpillars of which feed on the flowers and leaves of broom and gorse. The best place to look in Colchester is on the Hilly Fields local nature reserve and another good location is Essex Wildlife Trust’s Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve.

 

Before the end of April nightingales (pictured left) were back in their favourite woodland and scrub nesting territories in North East Essex. The real ‘hot spot’ for nightingales is Fingringhoe Wick where there can be as many as 13 nesting pairs but up to 12 nesting pairs can also be found in Friday Wood and the roman River valley. It is good to report that at least one singing male was heard in Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt on April 22nd, the first of this splendid songster heard in the wood for four years. There were, until fairly recently, up to 10 pairs in and near Hillhouse Wood, but increasing disturbance from the increased popularity of this open access public wood, especially in Bluebell time and early summer, may have had some bearing on the decline of this shy, ground nesting bird. It is hoped that this year’s record of the species may herald a welcome return and new management practice in the wood will ensure there is extra cover for nesting nightingales and warblers.

 

Hillhouse wood can justifiably claim to have one of the finest displays of Bluebells in Essex and this year the blooms were at their peak by the second week of April, brought forward by the highest temperatures for some 80 years! There was also an increase in the number of flowering spikes of early purple orchids (pictured left), more than 50 of the normal deep pink blooms as well as at least six of the rare white form.

 

By the first days of May there are many blackcaps, chiffchaffs, whitethroats and some willow warblers back in woods and along hedgerows and May sees the return of swifts. This is a species suffering from an alarming decline in breeding success. In the past these highly-aerial birds nested in old buildings, church towers and gaps under eaves but modern housing offers little opportunity for nesting success. In the Colchester are the first swifts back from Africa were seen at Easter.

 

Two other summer nesting birds in disturbingly low numbers are the spotted flycatcher and the turtle dove (pictured left). Both are now on the national Red lists of species giving rise to serious concern. Both undertake migratory flights from winter quarters in Africa and in the case of the turtle dove, they have to run the gauntlet of the notorious gunners in Mediterranean islands such as Malta and Cyprus as well as in Italy and France. I welcome any sightings of both species.

 

Cuckoos (pictured below) were heard in several places in the Colchester area before the end of April. This is another species in decline. As a migrant it also faces a wide variety of hazards including pesticide usage in parts of Africa affecting insect prey. Here cuckoos feed on hairy moth caterpillars, such as those of the drinker, found in damp grassland and marshes and in these areas reed warblers are chosen as host species by egg-laying female cuckoos.

 

Another welcome May bird is the hobby. This dashing little falcon in increasing as an Essex nesting species often with more than 30 pairs taking over old crows nests. They winter in Africa and are usually back here by mid May. They catch dragonflies and other insects but also take martins. If you are in a coastal area in May listen for the rippling, whistling call of whimbrels as these elegant wading birds head north to breeding areas on northern moors and heaths. The old local name for the whimbrel was Maybird or Titterel.

 

Green Hairstreaks plentiful at High Woods Country Park, Colchester

Brian Goodey reports an unusually large number of green hairstreak butterflies at High Woods Country Park on May 1st. He saw about 30 of this attractive spring butterfly species. He comments:

“This is the highest number of this species I have seen anywhere and it is quite a surprise. No gorse nearby and only a few straggly pieces of broom here and there.”

 

Joe Firmin comments:

 

“We have had good records of green hairstreaks at Fordham Hall and Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt, where there are no bushed of broom or gorse. However, one of its larval foodplants is bramble, hence its scientific name of rubi, indicating its association with bramble. At both Fordham and West Bergholt there is bramble and the butterflies have been seen on the bramble leaves. It seems there is the same association at High Woods Country Park.”

 

More Nightingale records

Two singing male nightingales were in (and near) Hillhouse Wood on May 1st. Also two singing males at Grove Wood, West Bergholt and at High Woods Country Park, Colchester on the same day. Steve Beary at Essex Wildlife Trust has reported larger numbers of Nightingales than usual at Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve. 40-50 singing males were present over the bank holiday.