Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
At Last, Spring!
Yesterday, an unfamiliar warmth in the air, I stumbled out from my house to sit upon the garden step, Skylarks migrating over, my first of the year, bird song from the forest, spring had finally arrived, yippee!
Only days earlier, meadow and field had remained under a blanket of snow, temperatures stubbornly refusing to climb above zero. Today was all change - under a second consecutive day of sun and temperatures rising to plus 10 C, the land was now a patchwork of snow, bare grass and shallow pools of meltwater. And into this new landscape, birds galore, the floodgates were beginning to creak open - Skylarks everywhere, many migrating north, some already rising in song, here and there a Starling, always a bird to warm the heart, the first returnee. At Electrenai, still the only lake of significance to lose much of its ice, the change in a week was notable - rafts of birds now bobbed on the quiet waters, a minimum of 1000 Coots, 150 Tufted Ducks and 600 Goldeneye leading the packs. Scoped through, a solitary Greylag in their midst, the first two Smew of the season, plus the first Great Crested Grebes and a Little Grebe. Skylarks continued northward, three Wood Larks skimmed low, then high in the sunny sky, my first Cranes of the year, a pair drifting over the lake, gradually heading south. Spring was truly here.
In reedbeds adjacent, a gang of Grey Herons rose, a Reed Bunting sang, whilst on the lake the local Cormorant tally was now in excess of 40, everything in increased numbers or newly arrived. The resident White-tailed Eagle, today spooking the Coots, must surely look down with contentment, abundant dinners have returned form the south.
And so to today, Labanoras, my land. Six months of winter, the shackles were finally off, I arrived to mists rising off the remaining snow. Melodious yodelling adjacent, ah wonderful, my Cranes had returned, the pair strutting a hillside. Honoured to have these breeding on my land, their return is always a magical moment. Savoured the moment, Skylarks tumbling overhead, a first Starling already atop his nestbox.
Ahead, my track vanished into a deep pool of floodwater. With the car laden with nestboxes and a sack of grain however, I really fancied getting my car across the meadow if I could - a decidedly dodgy proposition in the days of snow melt, in years past my car sinking into meadows! Fortunately, though snow was in active melt, the actual ground was still frozen solid, so progress was relatively easy. Five Lapwings flopped over, my first of the year, Common Ravens circled in display.
Chucked up a few of the new nestboxes (the plan is to have over 200 fairly soon), then retired to the feeders. With temperatures up to 7 C, activity was less hectic than of late, but still all the favourites were in place, including the Grey-headed Woodpecker which spent no less than 40 minutes on the feeder!!! In the wider forest, still decked in snow, a symphony of woodpeckers - Grey-headed Woodpecker yaffling and drumming, Middle Spotted Woodpecker hammering away and, defending territory, the new White-backed Woodpecker loud and vocal. Possibly a second male White-backed Woodpecker at the opposite end of the wood, an interesting development if it turns out.
However, bird of the day was still awaiting me - back in the meadows, now shroud in dank fog, a bird whipped past, then doubled and shot back again, a female Merlin! Fantastic, a new bird for my land, species number 147! (CLICK HERE for my Land List)
And then, just proving spring had truly arrived, it began to rain. Farewell for me, back home I went.
Yesterday, an unfamiliar warmth in the air, I stumbled out from my house to sit upon the garden step, Skylarks migrating over, my first of the year, bird song from the forest, spring had finally arrived, yippee!
Only days earlier, meadow and field had remained under a blanket of snow, temperatures stubbornly refusing to climb above zero. Today was all change - under a second consecutive day of sun and temperatures rising to plus 10 C, the land was now a patchwork of snow, bare grass and shallow pools of meltwater. And into this new landscape, birds galore, the floodgates were beginning to creak open - Skylarks everywhere, many migrating north, some already rising in song, here and there a Starling, always a bird to warm the heart, the first returnee. At Electrenai, still the only lake of significance to lose much of its ice, the change in a week was notable - rafts of birds now bobbed on the quiet waters, a minimum of 1000 Coots, 150 Tufted Ducks and 600 Goldeneye leading the packs. Scoped through, a solitary Greylag in their midst, the first two Smew of the season, plus the first Great Crested Grebes and a Little Grebe. Skylarks continued northward, three Wood Larks skimmed low, then high in the sunny sky, my first Cranes of the year, a pair drifting over the lake, gradually heading south. Spring was truly here.
In reedbeds adjacent, a gang of Grey Herons rose, a Reed Bunting sang, whilst on the lake the local Cormorant tally was now in excess of 40, everything in increased numbers or newly arrived. The resident White-tailed Eagle, today spooking the Coots, must surely look down with contentment, abundant dinners have returned form the south.
And so to today, Labanoras, my land. Six months of winter, the shackles were finally off, I arrived to mists rising off the remaining snow. Melodious yodelling adjacent, ah wonderful, my Cranes had returned, the pair strutting a hillside. Honoured to have these breeding on my land, their return is always a magical moment. Savoured the moment, Skylarks tumbling overhead, a first Starling already atop his nestbox.
Ahead, my track vanished into a deep pool of floodwater. With the car laden with nestboxes and a sack of grain however, I really fancied getting my car across the meadow if I could - a decidedly dodgy proposition in the days of snow melt, in years past my car sinking into meadows! Fortunately, though snow was in active melt, the actual ground was still frozen solid, so progress was relatively easy. Five Lapwings flopped over, my first of the year, Common Ravens circled in display.
Chucked up a few of the new nestboxes (the plan is to have over 200 fairly soon), then retired to the feeders. With temperatures up to 7 C, activity was less hectic than of late, but still all the favourites were in place, including the Grey-headed Woodpecker which spent no less than 40 minutes on the feeder!!! In the wider forest, still decked in snow, a symphony of woodpeckers - Grey-headed Woodpecker yaffling and drumming, Middle Spotted Woodpecker hammering away and, defending territory, the new White-backed Woodpecker loud and vocal. Possibly a second male White-backed Woodpecker at the opposite end of the wood, an interesting development if it turns out.
However, bird of the day was still awaiting me - back in the meadows, now shroud in dank fog, a bird whipped past, then doubled and shot back again, a female Merlin! Fantastic, a new bird for my land, species number 147! (CLICK HERE for my Land List)
And then, just proving spring had truly arrived, it began to rain. Farewell for me, back home I went.
Last edited:
