Shortwood Roughs

My first attempt to search for Willow Tits this year was, it has to be said, a bit of a shambles.

I had picked out an area where I definitely recorded a Willow Tit, and indeed Marsh Tit,  whilst doing a BBS square in 1995. Steve Payne duly sent me a map of the square and asked me to get on with it.

So this morning, having failed to locate the relevant OS map I headed to where I had carried out the BBS survey 25 years ago. I felt sure that my route had followed footpaths.

The first obvious difference was that the field bordering the wood was no longer sheep pasture, but was a muddy maize field.

An hour later I had recorded no Willow Tits (as expected), but had added some species to my 1990s list, namely Buzzard, Greylag Goose, Kestrel, Siskin, and Black-headed Gull. The area was every bit as dull as I remembered it.

The most interesting ornithology was the presence of a large flock of winter thrushes. I estimated 150 Fieldfares, and 70 Redwings. I had not bothered to pack my scope, something I now regretted.

Mostly Fieldfares

I was also pleased that at least five Skylarks were singing.

On returning to the road a concerned citizen greeted me with "are you lost ?" Uh oh ! It turned out that there was not a public footpath where I was walking, and Mr Neighbourhood-Watch was sure that the farmer would be displeased by my presence there. I was able to find out from him who did own the land and set off to find him. Eventually I tracked down the owner's son, Adam, and he readily gave me permission.

The final irony on returning home was that most of Shortwood Roughs' woodland falls in a neighbouring square, so I was actually looking in the wrong place. That woodland, Mr "I think all Buzzards should be shot" Neighbourhood-Watch told me was owned by "some eco-warriors".

As I said, a bit of a shambles.