Cliffe Pools - March 2010

Reporting Your Sightings

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March is a transitional month with winter drawing to a close, to be replaced by progressively more signs of spring. This is reflected by the continued presence of wintering wildfowl and wading species such as teal, pintail and grey plover into the middle of the month prior to them migrating to their northern breeding grounds.

Additionally, wintering birds of prey like hen harrier, merlin and short-eared owl are usually present well into March, as are wintering fieldfares prior to their return to their breeding grounds.

The first spring migrants to be recorded at Cliffe are typical for Kent with wheatear, chiffchaff and sand martin normally noted from the middle of the month onwards. March is also a time in which large pre-breeding flocks of species like shelduck and avocet start to build up.

Finally, with the advent of warmer weather other wildlife starts to become more obvious. Flowers like alexanders, celandines and primroses and butterfly species such as peacock, comma and brimstone, roused from their winter dormancy, add welcome touches of colour to the largely drab March countryside.

The shorelarks again seen intermittently to 21st at least

14th: 1 r-t hen harrier, 1 barn owl, 1 greenshank, avocet (per A. Millar)