With the clocks on the brink of 'Springing forward' winter has bid us farewell. Over the last few days at Ash, the weather has been mild, and there has been a steady South-Westerly air flow, bringing with it the promise of Spring migrants. Today (27th March) as I walked around the lake, I counted no less then eight singing Chiffchaffs. There has been a steady increase in the number of these birds, with my first singing individual noted almost a month previous, on the 25th February. Things do feel a little slow here still though. For example, I still have yet to connect up with a Blackcap on site; surely any day now. With that said, there have been several things of note from the last few weeks:
Along with the first singing Chiffchaff, (see above) another individual was located in close proximity, on the same day, skulking in the trees at the bottom of Lady Spring Meadow. Furthermore, the presence of two Red Kites, high up over the main building, were a sure sign of the waning wintery conditions. Whilst the latter species isn't a migrant as such, it's much harder to connect with Red kites during the winter at Ashburnham.
On the 6th March, a picture of a rather unusual duck was sent to me by a couple of excited volunteers. Convinced that they had tracked down a rarity, they were a little bit disappointed to hear that the Muscovy Duck that they had spotted on the South Lawn is actually a domesticated species. Still, an unusual record, and as far as I know, a first for Ashburnham Place.
The second week of March proved to be a rather fruitful week for adding new birds to the slowly growing tally of species on site. On Wednesday, whilst out with a small group of enthusiastic volunteers, and in the midst of pointing out Tufted Ducks, Moorhens, and a Heron, a large pale-bellied raptor flushed a Buzzard toward the bottom end of Front Water. After a split-second of deliberation, I realised I was looking at a Goshawk; but no sooner had I identified the bird then it disappeared silently into the woods. Given the forest coverage in the region, I suspect there may be a small number of these powerful and mysterious raptors around. Despite their size, and the frenzied reactions they often provoke in other birds, Goshawks are notoriously secretive and hard to see. Having only personally seen one once before in Norfolk, tracking one down on home soil felt incredibly special.
On the following day, a rather interesting looking Wagtail arrested my attention as I walked along the path above Front Water. The plain grey mantle of the bird in question looked markedly contrasting compared with its black head, and helped me to identify the species in question as a White Wagtail. The 'Alba' variant of the commoner 'Yarrellii' Pied Wagtail is a passage migrant, which can be seen in the South East of England, in early Spring, as it makes its way to its breeding grounds in Northern Europe.
Pied/White Wagtail (Yarrellii) White Wagtail (Alba)
The particular bird at Ashburnham was quite a smart example of the Alba variety, and when seen alongside its commoner counterpart, as above, one can quite easily see the differences between these two birds.
This same walk afforded me with some very close up views of one of my favourite woodland birds, the aptly named Treecreeper.
Further afield, the allure of a possible early Wheatear, saw me combing the beach at Winchelsea on the 18th March. Whilst I failed to connect up with my target species, a distant Black-Necked Grebe on Long Pit, proved to be more then adequate compensation. I also had the privilege of enjoying unusually close views of one of our most colourful and striking species, the Kingfisher; my first one of 2021.
