Arlesey Conser vation For Nature

No w that spring is approaching and loosening the grip o f winter on ou t countr yside, the days are drawing ou t and the temperatures are increasing, things are star ting to change Buds are star ting to form on the tips o f the tree branches, plants are star ting to gro w and emerge, seeking ou t the sunlight with early risers such as Crocuses and Sno w Drops in bloom

A big par t o f spring is the star t o f bird migrations, those species that o ver winter in the UK such as Redwings, Fieldfares and Waxwings that flew sou th f rom Scandinavia in September/October and have spent the winter in our milder climate, are no w leaving and only a few late stragglers remain in the local area. Native birds that live in the UK all year round, also migrate between Nor th and Sou th o ver the winter period, birds like Stonechats, with at least one pair o ver-wintering in the Mill pits and surrounding f ields in the last few years, no w mo ving to their breeding grounds. Even Blackbirds migrate within the UK to avoid the coldest weather.

Spring also has an influx o f new arrivals - birds f rom sou thern Europe and Af rica arriving on our shores for the star t o f the breeding season Well kno wn birds such as Swifts, Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and the Hirundinids – Swallo ws, House Mar tins and Sand Mar tins

Less well-kno wn migrator y birds are also arriving, such as Osprey and Yello w Wagtails with the f irst Ospreys returning to Ru tland Water around the 20th o f March and are ver y likely to have flo wn o ver Bedfordshire and possibly Arlesey on their migration flights.

One o f the most famous summer visitors o f all arrives in late March/early April – the Cuckoo A calling male has spent the summer at the Mill Pits for the last few years and some years there are two males in that area Their call is ver y distinctive, and I doubt there is a single person in Arlesey who would no t recognise it Many people though are no t aware o f what they look like, especially during flight, where they can be easily mistaken for a Kestrel or Sparro whawk The Cuckoo is a parasitic bird, laying its eggs in the nest o f o thers, especially Reed Warblers, Dunnocks, and Meado w Pipits Reed Warblers and Dunnocks are cer tainly present in the Mill Pits area and are the likely recipients o f a Cuckoo visit!

Unfor tunately, the Cuckoo is no w a Red List species in the 2021 UK Conser vation Status Repor t due to a 65% reduction in population since the early 1980’s, bu t hopefully they will return to the Mill Pits area this spring.

Arlesey Mill Pits and the meado w opposite Amenity Trees are ideal habitat for Whitethroats and the even rarer Lesser Whitethroat, whilst the reeds and tall irises along the banks o f the river pro vide co ver and nesting sights for Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers. The Reed and Sedge Warblers have similar songs bu t are f requently heard along the river here