Anderwood - 12th May

A mild and cloudy day, but pretty windy. Highlights were Redstarts and Wood Warbler.

Fewer birds seen and heard today due to the wind. In fact the first thing we saw, as we walked along the woodland track from the car park, was a Red Admiral butterfly. A little further along a Blackbird flew off the path and we stopped to see what we could hear. Very quickly Joy spotted a Redstart in the woods and most people caught a glimpse of him. There were Wrens singing and further along a Wood Warbler. We listened to him, tried pishing him and strained to see him through the leaves – all to no avail. It was nice to hear its song though. As we walked off we disturbed a Brown Silver Lines moth that some of us saw before it flew off. We got to Mark Ash Wood which is a much more ancient area of woodland and there were far more birds here. Wrens, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds and Chaffinches were singing. Two Coal Tits flitted in one tree, while a Treecreeper made its way up the trunk of another. A few Chaffinches, Robins and a Dunnock were seen and we got a good view of a Wren singing on some twigs. Then Elaine spotted a male Redstart and he gave great views for a short while.
We made our way back and heard a second Wood Warbler singing in the plantation and again we couldn’t see him. We walked by an open area of grassland that was entirely birdless and then back into ancient woodland. Lyz and Roger saw a Jay and heard a Firecrest singing as we entered the woods again. A little further along the path and a third Wood Warbler started singing. This time we were able to creep through the fairly open woods to where he was singing from. After a few seconds Derek found him and we got great views for a few minutes while he flitted amongst some greenery.
Simon Curson.