Another scheduled bird walk for the Friends of St.Ives, this one being attended by three Bradford Ornithological Group members. This week we dropped down into Cuckoo Nest Wood to try and see the Pied Flycatcher first and then walked up past the reservoir and Racecourse plantation and down to Lady Blantyre and finally Coppice Pond.
Cuckoo Nest Wood
Unfortunately the high winds kept many of the songbirds from singing and those that were singing were harder to hear. However, after what seemed an eternity we found the male Pied Flycatcher as he sang. He'd been very elusive as this week he has moved to the woods up hill from nest box 39 and is no longer right next to the path. We discovered a Blue Tit pair are using box 14. Male Blackcap and Chiffchaff were using the same tree to sing from. Nuthatches were seen throughout and we had one sigting of a Jay.
Betty's Lodge
After entering the woods near Betty's Lodge we saw a family party of Long-tailed Tits
White Cotes Barn
A male Sparrowhawk was viewed for a while as it past us and headed away over the woods around Betty's Lodge.
Crossgates Barn
A male Kestrel was seen hunting toward the golf course. A pair of Swallows were feeding close by.
Racecourse Plantation
Goldcrest and Treecreeper were heard and then seen. A distant song drowned out by the wind may have been a Redstart.
Coppice Pond
3 pairs of Canada Geese had 3, 7 and 2 juveniles in tow. No sign of the Tufted Ducks.
I totalled up later and reckon we had at least 12 singing male Blackcaps and 6 Chiffchaffs.
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