May 2020

13 Buckden Roundabout May 2020 Wildlife near Buckden Nightingales near Buckden The arrival of those migrant birds that spent winter in Africa is a guaranteed source of joy each spring. It ’ s a time to welcome back old friends and smile when you see your first Swallow twittering overhead or hear the jaunty song of the Chiffchaff within a blooming hedgerow. One of our spring migrants also happens to also be the UK ’ s finest songbird and an increasingly rare sight and sound. We are very lucky to have it on our door- steps and now is the time to make a date with the star of the spring show, the Nightingale. Paxton Pits has long been famed as one of the UK ’ s premier sites for hearing, and seeing, Nightingales. People from all over the UK would make a pilgrimage there each spring to spend time with them. Sadly, in recent years the number of singing males has taken a worrying downturn within the core of the reserve, with far fewer birds than in previous years. When I lived in Little Paxton more than 10 years ago, the night air was filled with the intense, rich song of Nightingales whenever I stood in my tiny garden on a warm, still evening between mid April through to around mid - May. Fortunately, I can still enjoy the sound of Nightingales, and so can you, as singing males have returned to sing from the won- derful scrub along the “ Anglian Water Road ” which runs be- tween Stirtloe Sewage Treatment Works and the Anglian Wa- ter pumping station. The Nightingales can be heard at the north end of the large pit at the northern end of the Paxton Pits complex, known as Pumphouse Pit. Listen carefully as you walk between points 2 and 3 on the map for the Round - about Buckden Walk reproduced here. You can also see and download the map with notes on the new Parish Council website (where you can also find seasonal wildlife fact- sheets I helped to produce, which point out wildlife to see on the walk): https://buckdenpc.org.uk/round - about - buckden - walk/ I was pleased to hear one bird back, but then Roundabout Edi- tor Alec reported five different Nightingales singing , which is wonderful news. They should remain in good voice up until mid - May at least. Unpaired birds will sing for longer than paired birds of course, so if they do go quiet, it can be a good sign! Go early and late (they sing beautifully at night of course, hence the name) for the best performances and if you can, make this part of the walk part of your daily exercise. As well as the Nightingales, I ’ ve been able to also enjoy my first returning singing Cuckoo in this area on 15 April, plus a varied warbler accompaniment of Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff and Cetti ’ s Warbler, all with the last of the brilliant white Blackthorn blossom swapping over with that of Hawthorn providing a perfect setting for the songs. It ’ s a spe- cial area. The repertoire of the Nightingale is incredibly varied and often starts with a series of long whistles before exploding into an incredibly intense and melodic series of notes that are so rich and perfect in quality. They can sing constantly for hours at a time with one phrase merging perfectly with the next, especial- ly in the evenings and at night. Blackcaps have a lovely fluty warble, but you will know when you have heard a Nightingale. Mark Ward is a nature author and the RSPB ’ s Editor - in - Chief, producing its magazines and other communications for its 1.1 million members. His latest book, “ Wildlife on Your Doorstep ” is based on his experiences with the wildlife of the Buckden area. It is available from Amazon and all good booksellers. Nightingales can be heard between points 2 and 3 Nightingale in Paxton Pits (Photo—Alec MacAndrew)