THE unpredictable spring weather is playing tricks on migrating birds arriving in the North West, according to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

But while some reserves have noticed swallows, martins, and swifts arriving in unusually large flocks, Brockholes, near Samlesbury, is still waiting for migrating birds to fly in.

Reserve manager Sophie Leadsom said: “We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this year’s breeding migrants as the mark of spring at Brockholes but, while our resident breeders, such as lapwing, are now hatching young, we’re still waiting for our migrants to turn up.

“We had a fall of sedge and reed warblers about two weeks ago, but many of our reed fringes are still eerily silent.

“Small songbirds, such as whitethroat, are claiming the reserve as their own but, as you walk round the reserve, there are patches of habitat, last year’s warbler territories, which are still waiting to be claimed. The reserve seems empty without them.”