Orlestone Forest - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Spent the morning birding the woods at two locations in the company of Chris P in glorious spring sunshine with the temperature peaking at 16C. With perfect weather conditions and the `right` time of year our target bird was (perhaps a tad optimistically!) Lesser pecker, of which there was no sign; however, drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard and several calling Greens but not the little `un. In fact many parts of the woodland were as quiet as a graveyard although we did eventually see or hear all the common tits, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Jay, Common Buzzard and plenty of singing Chiffchaffs. Since the 1970`s woodland bird populations in England have declined by about a third, so it was no real surprise to us that we saw so few birds. But what was shocking was the paucity of finches with only two Chaffinches noted in just under four hours; no Greenfinch or Bullfinch, Siskin or Redpoll, Crossbill or Hawfinch. Something is seriously amiss in our forests. However, there was a good show of early spring flowers in the clearings, while six species of butterflies were logged along the woodland rides including several Brimstones and singles of Comma and Orange Tip.
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