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Month-by-Month

January

Water Rail
Water Rail in the reed bed

Seasonal sights to look out for:

  • Birds on the feeders including great tit, blue tit, coal tit, long-tailed tit, willow tit, marsh tit, chaffinch, brambling, robin, blackbird
  • Flocks of siskin and redpoll in the alder tops
  • Water rail at feeding stations
  • Redwing
  • Hazel catkins
  • Scarlet elf cup fungus
  • Roosting long-eared owl
  • Marsh marigold in flower

February

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Birds on feeders
  • Siskin and redpoll in the alder tops

    Scarlet Elf Cap at Sculthorpe moor
    The stunning Scarlet Elf Cap fungi
  • Water rail
  • Redwing
  • Tawny owls calling
  • Hazel catkins
  • Cuckoo pint leaves
  • Scarlet elf cup fungus

March

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Returning marsh harriers
  • Water rail calling
  • Lesser and great spotted woodpecker drumming

    barn owl
    Notice the particularly long wings on barn owls. © Pete Walkden
  • Chiffchaff calling
  • Barn owl hunting
  • Alder and poplar catkins
  • Bumble bees emerging from winter hibernation
  • Frog and toad spawn in pond
  • Violets in flower
  • Blackthorn in flower
  • Elder in leaf
  • Early butterflies: brimstone and small tortoiseshell

May

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Marsh harriers nesting
  • Cuckoo calling
  • Grasshopper warbler singing
  • Hawthorn in flower
  • Cuckoo pint, cowslip and red campion flowering
  • Damselflies emerging

June

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Yellow flag iris, hemp agrimony and other plants in flower
  • Young fledglings
  • Young barn owls fledging
  • Dragonflies and damselflies in flight
  • Hobby hunting over reed bed

July

Banded Demoiselle
Banded Demoiselle

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Many plants in flower
  • Young fledglings
  • Young frogs and toads
  • Butterflies and moths
  • Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
  • Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)
  • Small Emerald Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum)

August

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Young marsh harriers
  • Young sparrowhawks
  • Hemp agrimony flowers attracting butterflies and other insects
  • White admiral butterflies
  • Glow worms and moths at night

September

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Berries on elder, hawthorn and guelder rose
  • Sycamore keys and acorns
  • Damselflies and dragonflies

October

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Harriers leaving
  • Siskin and redpoll returning
  • Fieldfare and redwing
  • Rosehips and alder cones
  • Fungi

November

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Autumn leaves on the trees
  • Berries and fruits
  • Fungi

December

Seasonal attractions to look out for:

  • Birds on the feeders including great tit, blue tit, coal tit, long-tailed tit, willow tit, marsh tit, chaffinch, brambling, robin, blackbird
  • Flocks of siskin and redpoll in the alder tops
  • Water rail at feeding stations
  • Redwing
  • Roosting long-eared owl

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