There were 7 of us today, after one person had to back out at the last minute. Not as many as last year, but a nice manageable number. The majority had been before and came back for more! Nice calm, dry weather, if a little cool.
Certainly lots of noise in the wood – Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Robin and Wren everywhere, with Blue Tit and Great Tit calling/singing. Green Woodpecker heard several times, Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming near centre of wood a few times, but neither woodpecker was seen. Common Whitethroat doing display flight over hedge on way down, and same species singing in southern scrub. Stock Doves heard, but not nearly so vociferous as in my recent visits. Other species included Skylark singing over fields and Greenfinch singing towards southern end of wood (for some reason I only ever encounter it in that same location). Surprisingly Linnet was absent from the southern scrub, after being there in recent weeks. Chris found a Buzzard perched on a branch not too high up, but unfortunately it flew off before most people could see it.
As with a couple of survey visits in the last month, the avian diversity seems a bit restricted so far this spring – no sign at all of Nuthatch (can be quite noisy), Treecreeper (difficult to hear, so rely on seeing), Song Thrush (although a hint of song at one point today) or Mistle Thrush. Jay observed only on the first of those visits.
Many thanks to John Elwell for, once again, leading this walk and for preparing this report
