Report from 13 to 17 February 2023

The spring migration kicked off with a big flock of Cranes, at least 130 of them, which circled leisurely overhead to gain altitude before making a beeline for the east. I could hear their loud calls before I spotted them in the sky, and kept hearing them well after they disappeared from sight. The arrival of a small number of Common Snipe and a scattering of Shovelers were probably also signs of migration. As the winter draws to a close, the Pygmy Cormorant roost is quickly emptying out: of the many hundreds that gathered there a few weeks ago, only a few dozen are left. The plant life is also hinting at the changing seasons: numerous shrubs and trees are in bud, and those of the willows are about to bloom; the flowers of Spring Snowflakes (Leucojum vernum) and Common Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) carpet the ground.

Penduline Tits also seem to have become more common in recent days; perhaps there was a small influx. During the winter, Penduline Tits live in reedbeds; with their sharp bills, they pierce the stems of the reeds to find insect and spider eggs and larvae.