Abberton Ranger Blog – January 2019

Abberton Ranger Blog – January 2019

January has finally turned colder, with some frosty mornings. Tree planting is still going well, and our running total now stands at 2,775, we should be finished in the next 3 to 4 weeks unless the ground freezes solid.

We will then look at getting some coppicing and hedge cutting work done before the Spring and the bird nesting season begins. Some unseasonal birds like Cetti's warbler have been heard in recent days, these are usually a Summer migrant, but it is likely that some stay year round if the winter is relatively mild like this one has been so far. There are lots of great birds on the reservoir at the moment including thousands of Teal, hundreds of Gadwall, Goldeneye, Pochard, Mallard, Shoveler, and Wigeon. The Great white egrets are still around as well as some Smew and Bewick's swans. Many waterbirds will gather at inland reservoirs at this time of the year where they can take advantage of the relative shelter and food resources available #WinterSurvival