Field diary

March 2006

March is an interesting month with increasing numbers of migrants and early nesters already busy. On the morning of the 6th we saw a group of 19 male Great Bustard energetically displaying. And this despite the fact the no female was within at least one km radius!

The White Storks systematically steal branches and twigs from one another's nests and set up beak clattering greetings when a member of the colony flies in.

There are still small numbers of Crane, but they are falling fast. On 6th around 20 were seen moving off while a group of 5 are still feeding in the rice fields near Acedera.

On 3rd the first Lesser Kestrels arrived at Acedera, with 8 birds counted (mainly males). A Great Spotted Cuckoo was sitting in a tree fork for a long time close to an area where Magpies nested last year.

Since the start of the month the first Pallid Swifts have been seen too.

A welcome piece of news is that on Saturday we had the heaviest rainfall of the winter with 25 litres recorded.