Spring in the air at last

THE stormy wet weather of last week has given the birds a bit of a beating.

March, according to old country lore, often "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."

Let us hope that the end of the month proves more pleasant than the beginning.

Despite the tough weather the rooks have now started to build their nests.

They were late this year so perhaps they are better at weather forecasting than we are.

Blackheaded gulls already think it is spring and most now have their chocolate-coloured heads, which they have during the breeding season.

March is also a month when many wildfowl are preparing to migrate northwards to their breeding grounds.

Pochard, goldeneye and shovelers were obviously hungry after the spell of sheltering from high winds but were soon showing signs of being restless and preparing for migration.

Even our resident moorhens sensed that spring was in the air and were starting to build their first nest of the year 2000. Normally moorhens raise two or even three broods.

Later clutches seem to be more successful, probably because in early spring there is not much vegetation around to hide the nest from predators. Stoats, weasels and foxes are the natural predators of the moorhen (and other birds for that matter) but the North American mink is becoming a real problem.

The animal rights people should be aware that releasing predators is not the answer.

Our native and vulnerable animal species also have the right to live.

LETTER: Can you identify our mystery visitor?

I HAVE been meaning to write to you for some time now regarding an unusual bird that frequents our garden on a regular basis.

The bird is roughly the size of a blackbird but its feathers are dark brown rather than black.

Its tail seems to be split into three parts but the prominent feature is the head which, along with the neck, is all white.

The beak is apricot in shade and seems to be a fraction longer and thinner than the blackbird's.

The bird first appeared late last summer - we named him Blanco for obvious reasons - and the white of the head is a little mottled now. The breast also seems as though it has some underlying whiteness. Have you any idea what it could be?

JUDITH KIRKHAM (Mrs), Oldfield Avenue, Darwen.

RON REPLIES: I am almost certain that Mrs Kirkham's sighting is of a partial albino blackbird.

I have seen one or two of these specimens and last year I saw a partial albino robin near Foulridge.

These specimens are, however, rare.

Even rarer are complete albinos and for some years a white crow was resident around Rimington in the Ribble Valley.

I would be interested to hear from other readers who have observed albinos and partial albinos, even if it was some time ago.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.