A pleasant stroll through the woods. Good numbers of Nuthatch and Treecreeper around. 1 Common Buzzard over 3 noisy Jays 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 6 Coal Tit Robins in good song Plus plenty of the usuals.
The Wood Warbler was sighted in song at the east end of the woods, I saw it for a second and then it flit of through the dense branches of a holly. The Redstart was sighted in a similar place and was in fact a female (I thought it was a Robin at first) and was perched in an oak tree, however not singing. I visited an area of the woods that I haven't visited for a while and then saw a male Pied Flycatcher in song, apparently they use the nest boxes put up around the woods.
I was very pleased with all three sightings of magnificent woodland birds and expect that they will be moving on soon.
Louis.
As someone who has been going to the woods at Alderley for some time. I have been saddened by the apparent extinction of Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart as breeding birds (although the later two species were always pretty irregular).
Fantastic therefore, that you have recorded all three in the last couple of months - were any of these still in song?
Good flock of House Martins
Blue, Coal, Great and Long-Tailed Tits
2 Marsh Tits
3 Jays
1 Blackcap
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Ravens
4 Goldcrests
Chaffinches and Greenfinches, a couple of Lesser Redpolls
1 Pied Flycatcher
and a very lucky find - 1 well showing Lesser Spotted Woodpecker!