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Summer Migrants

Following on from our winter visitors we can now look forward to the arrival of our summer migrant birds. It is true some of the overwintering birds are still here. There were several Fieldfares on the Magog Down in the first week of March but generally most will have left by the end of the month.

The first new arrivals are usually Chiff Chaff, easily recognised by their ‘chiff chaff’ call and Willow Warbler with a more quiet descending song. Both birds are very similar and the song is probably the best way to identify them. Chiff Chaffs arrive from mid-March and the Willow Warblers are three or four weeks later.

Some Blackcaps now overwinter in this country and in spring these are joined by birds coming in from southern Europe. Both sexes have a greyish appearance but the male has a black ‘cap’ and the female a rusty brown ‘cap’. Another bird to look out for is the Whitethroat, coming all the way from southern Africa they usually appear at the beginning of May. As its name suggests the throat area of these birds is white often extending down to the breast. All these birds can be seen regularly on the Magog Downs in summer, the Whitethroats singing on the tops of the hedgerows.

There are many ‘sayings’ as to when the first Cuckoos arrive from tropical Africa. The end of April, beginning of May, seems to be about right. As we all know female Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. The birds most often chosen are Reed Warblers or Meadow Pipits. The female will perch and observe her ‘victim’ watching for one with a nest. At an opportune moment she will fly in and lay a single egg. This egg will have a similar colouration to those already in the nest. When the chick hatches its first instinct is to remove any other chicks and all the remaining eggs. This ensures that the young Cuckoo receives all the food and attention and it grows very quickly. It is hard to imagine that in just a couple of months it will be strong enough to make the journey back to Africa. There used to be a cuckoo on the Recreation Ground whose call could be heard from a distance. Sadly, the tree that it favoured was cut down, it didn’t take up residence the following year and now we rarely hear a cuckoo in Stapleford.

In gardens now one sees the Robins much more tolerant of each other as males and females begin to pair up ready to nest. Similarly Blackbirds will start searching for nest sites. Hopefully Great and Blue Tits will be seen starting to make use of the garden nest boxes, collecting and bringing in nesting material.

There will be many more summer migrants to look out for as the weather warms up.

Derek Gibbs