I'm starting to feel spoilt for choice. The field of dreams was an option this morning. I could visit Kinwarton where Gary Jilks had tipped me off about a drake Pintail, or I could carry on exploring.
I chose the latter course and headed for Headless Cross. Not an obvious place to look for birds, but I noticed that a short walk would take me to Pitcher Oak golf course, and beyond that the Pitcher Oak Wood.
The wood was a gem. I only had time to explore a tiny fraction of it, having made the mistake of parking in a two hour restricted spot.
For the next hour I was mesmerised by a succession of fast moving tit flocks and their associated species. Nothing rarer than Marsh Tits, of which I saw four, but I felt tremendously optimistic.
 |
| Marsh Tit |
 |
| Goldcrest |
Large, mature woodlands hold loads of potential, a fact reinforced by a conversation with a guy who told me he had been living nearby since 1943. He knew his birds, and told me he had seen all three woodpeckers in the wood, and his dog had flushed a Woodcock last week.
My hour produced the likes of Goldcrests, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, and Siskin. Just typical woodlands birds, some might say dross, but I wouldn't.
It amazes me that I've lived in Redditch for 16 years and have never visited this wood. What other hidden treasures await discovery in my #LocalBigYear?
Time will tell.
No comments:
Post a Comment