No. 23 Spring catch up at Secret Valley

  N.B. Remember to click on the photograph to enlarge the image



During January the bird population at the Secret Valley ponds remained remarkably static. There was a flock of 23 Coots,  a single Grey Heron, a Little Egret, some juvenile Moorhens, about four Little Grebes, and a pair of Teal, all of which I saw on each of my visits during the month




 Teal drake, present with the female though January and February



Juvenile Moorhen, one of four regularly present



Little Grebe, often seen in January and February




Little Egret, a permanent resident at the ponds



 Grey Heron, another young resident at the ponds



Adult Coot, one of the flock of 23 permanently resident

By mid-February the Little Grebes had gone elsewhere, and the Moorhens were around less frequently, but the Coots, Teal, Heron and Egret were still present. In addition I saw a Great Egret on the beach by the 11th green, and a Snipe hiding in the shoreline stones close to the dam wall. In the shrubs and trees around the ponds I had frequent sightings of Chiffchaff, Linnets, Stonechats, Great Tits and Serin, an occasional Chaffinch and, infrequently, a Common Buzzard. 


 
Chiffchaff - indistinct plumage but distinct two-tone call



Great Egret - a tall and elegant wader



 Serin - often seen in large mixed flocks 



Snipe, hiding in the stones by the dam wall



Stonechat - very commonly seen throughout the winter


By March there were more frequent sightings of Long-legged Buzzards over the course, as well as the re-appearance of the Little Owl along the entrance road. There has also been a flock of ten or more Stone Curlews frequently seen, and heard, roosting in the residential area of Secret Valley. These birds can be hard for the casual observer to spot as they stay absolutely motionless for much of the time. They look a bit like long-legged, knock-kneed plover and used to be known in the UK as "goggle-eyed Plovers". They  have a call that is a bit similar to a Curlew's, and it is often heard during the evening and night.


Little Owl -  a welcome return



Long-Legged Buzzard - always a spectacular sight



Stone Curlews - often strangely immobile


As we near the end of March the bird spring migration is well underway, though some of the earlier migrants  had started to appear in Secret Valley in early February,  including species (such as the Swallows and Martins) that we would normally associate with a slightly later arrival. Perhaps this is a result of a very mild winter. 

It can be difficult to tell the difference between Swallows and Martins, especially when they fly around in mixed flocks. To help with identifying them, House Martins are slightly smaller and "stubbier" than Swallows, and have a shorter forked tail. The underside is completely white. Swallows have the very distinct long streamer tails, and the adults have a very distinct red throat and face with a dark band. The Swallow is a more agile flier than the Martin, but neither are as fast as the Swift. Swifts have very long scythe-shaped narrow wings - and is almost never seen perching. It does not usually arrive until a little later in the year. In my experience it is almost impossible to photograph (hence, no picture)! 


 Barn Swallow - the most agile of fliers




House Martin - usually flies higher than the Swallow in mixed flocks
 

March has also seen the arrival of Great Spotted Cuckoos and their noisy and raucous calls are now often heard on the golf course as they chase over the trees. Once the couple have decided their partners the male will find a tasty morsel with which to tempt the female. Works every time! 

Various species of Wheatear are also now arriving, and the foreshore at Mandria is a good place to see recently arrived Northern and Isabelline Wheatears.



Great Spotted Cuckoos - being tempted




Isabelline Wheatear - slightly larger and more upright than the Northern




Northern Wheatear - a newly arrived migrant

There was a sudden influx of Hoopoes about three weeks ago and I saw at least six of them on the golf course during the mid-March pairs competition ( they weren't competing). These spectacular birds are frequently seen in areas of dappled light, which I believe effectively camouflages their predominantly black and white plumage. 


Hoopoe - merging into the shadows?

There are plenty of Kestrels making their presence felt on the course at the moment. They are busy pairing up and establishing their nest sites and hunting territories, and generally making a lot of noise in the process. We have a resident male kestrel that has adopted the area around the ninth green and tenth fairway as its particular territory, and it's unusual not to see it somewhere around as we pass by the halfway house.


 
Kestrel - getting ready for the kill




All text and photographs by Trevor Fordham

25th March 2021



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