Working the Woodland

This morning I worked the woodland area that borders Big Wood School Field from sunrise for about an hour and a half. A Mistle Thrush was singing from the top of a tree at the edge of the School Field, and two Song Thrush were singing from their usual posts nearby. A small number of Black-headed Gull were over the field, with one immature larger gull too, but views were only brief. Several Starling were feeding in the field at sunrise, and handfuls of Chaffinch were visiting the garden at the north-west corner.

The main focus of the morning was around the Three Ponds, where a group of Siskin were again feeding in the tops of the trees. Three drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker were heard between the ponds and the Triangle, with a female on the large dead tree. A male Nuthatch was defending his territory from another male, and subsequently singing victoriously from a nearby yew. He was also very obliging for my video camera, and produced my best footage of this species to date. A Wren darted for cover as I moved on toward Main Gate, and I heard a Pheasant call from the School Field.

Yet another Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming from the trees near the burnt-out car refuge, but went quiet as alarm calls went out for the Sparrowhawk going over - probably a female by the size of it. Looking into the eastern School Field, I picked out the male Pheasant near to a derelict-looking chicken coop (or something similar). Back at the Three Ponds, a Treecreeper was ascending the trunk of the large dead tree before I moved on to Dinosaur Dell, flushing a Jay from the woodland floor. Another pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker were here, and I witnessed the female drumming on the same tree as on my previous visit. Another (or one of the same) Nuthatch was about too, and the Sparrowhawk flew over again, heading westwards. More of the same on my way home, and a respectable 25 species recorded in total.