This morning I decided to revisit Pitchers Oak Wood, but this time to cover all of it. The conditions were ideal, being mild and windless. In the back of my mind was the hope that I might find a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Fat chance.
In fact I rediscovered another birder. I had made the acquaintance of Adey about five years ago when I was paying regular visits to Arrow Valley Lake, and he was working for the council Parks Department there. He is very knowledgable about birds and, I discovered today, about Fungi. It turned out we were both trying to see the Marsh Tits which were certainly present in January. He confirmed my worst fears, that Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers used to occur here but no longer do so. Adey is now retired, and his enthusiasm for creating biodiverse habitat at Arrow Valley Lake seems not to be shared by his former employers. The habitat improvements he championed have not been maintained. A great shame.
I didn't manage to find any Marsh Tits this morning, my most notable birds being a calling Green Woodpecker, a singing Chiffchaff, and a Raven.
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| One of the numerous Great Spotted Woodpeckers |
There were plenty of Siskins singing. Like Redwings they sing in early spring, and there is every chance that they too will have departed for the north by late April. But, unlike Redwings, a few may stay to breed.
I also broke my duck for butterflies this morning. A Brimstone was flying around a sunny glade, and a small dark butterfly (probably a Small Tortoiseshell) flew over a tall hedge as I was returning to my car. In fact, Lyn saw a Brimstone yesterday as it flew through our garden, but I managed to miss it.
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