Early April, particularly for those of us with an ear for nature, is a time to listen out for each of the first singing warblers. Millions of willow warblers and sedge warblers that have been making their way up the coast of France are poised to come over to join us in Britain. A change in wind direction and a break in the weather often prompts a sudden mass movement of them. Willow warblers are very similar in appearance to chiff chaffs - which is one of our earliest arrivals - but they have orange-brown legs, not black. Although, the best reference to identification is their song. Rather than the ‘name calling’ of the chiff chaff, the willow warbler’s song is unmistakable: a rippling cadence that rises and falls. It has been described as water trickling over rocks.

Sedge warblers will be singing from the sides of vegetated dykes, scrubby reedbeds, even from bushes around a village pond. Although they will inhabit sedge beds, their preference is wetland habitats with a little more variety, whereas the reed warbler is a slave to its title, being a bird exclusively of thick stands of reed. The sedge warbler’s song is rather babbling, in which sweet notes alternate between harsh grating sounds and sparrow-like chirps. The reed warbler is similar, but much more gentle, tuneful and rhythmic. I was once told that the reed warbler sounds like it is having a conversation, whereas the ‘sedgie’ is trying to start an argument. The reed warbler can be a little later in arriving than its cousins, but overnight dozens will suddenly drop into a reedbed, and by morning it will be alive with song. The males arrive first and will sing throughout the day and night, calling in migrating females from the sky above.

The open water will find great crested grebes still performing their elegant mirroring dance, although nearby will, no doubt, be the less then elegant squabbling coots. Male coots will fight over territory or a mate, and they can be quite violent affairs. Each will lean back raising their feet out of the water and vigorously kick one another. They can go on for hours, and it is not unusual for one to die in the battle, the stronger drowning the weaker.

In my garden, a song thrush is already sitting on eggs, the nest is tucked deep inside a conifer hedge. Unlike the blackbird, it doesn’t line its nest, the interior is just smooth mud. The female incubates the eggs alone, sitting deep in the cup of the nest, with only her beak and tail protruding over the edge. 

At NWT East Wretham, wheatears have been passing-through the reserve en-route to Northern moorlands. Unfortunately, it’s many decades since wheatears nested in the Brecks, we can only hope that they will one day return. By the first week of March, the first stone curlew arrival is normally in or around NWT Weeting Heath, and by early April a full complement will have arrived and be settling into their summer quarters.

Less than usual, on the 28 March, a white-tailed eagle carried out a flypast of the window at the NWT Cley and Salthouse Marshes visitor centre, I’m sure surprising those that saw it. The same date was also notable for marking the first time both ospreys were seen together at NWT Ranworth Broad. Their early joint arrival bodes well for another successful breeding season. This year there is an opportunity to watch the osprey family up close, as a nest camera has been installed. This is accessible via the NWT website here, so you will be able to follow the pair from the comfort of your own home and, with luck, watch their chicks as they develop.

What to look for in May

Norfolk in May is teeming with wildlife, particularly in our Broads, heathlands and coastal nature reserves. At the end of the month look out for swallowtail butterflies and Norfolk hawker dragonflies at our Broadland reserves, and spoonbills should have returned to NWT Hickling Broad. Look for green hairstreak butterflies flitting around isolated oak trees on heathlands, NWT Buxton Heath is a great place to look for them. A warm sunny morning, particularly after a chilly evening, is the time to look out for basking reptiles. They will be warming their bodies before hunting in the heat of midday. NWT New Buckenham Common will be blooming with green-winged orchids, and if you are lucky, you may hear a nightingale singing from the thick thorny scrub around the ponds.

Take action

Why not try ‘No Mow May’ - this will allow dandelions, daises, clover and buttercups to bloom. These are all nectar rich wildflowers, and by leaving the mower in the shed, you create crucial habitats for bees, butterflies, and other insects - all the while reducing carbon emissions.