Tag: Whitmoor Common

Whitmoor Common 1 June 2024

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Twelve of us met in the car park of the Jolly Farmer pub.  While we waited to start a Kestrel flew over with a vole in its talons.  Setting off into the first area of woodland by some houses we began to see and hear lots of Blue and Great Tits, and the beautiful song of Blackcaps rang out around us.  We had good views of a Nuthatch, possibly a youngster, perched above us on a tree branch.  A Red Kite drifted across the sky.  Further on into the woods we briefly saw a family group of Great Spotted Woodpeckers.  A Green Woodpecker could also be heard calling.

Out on the heathland we had good views of two Linnets on the path in front of us.  A Cormorant flew over in the distance as did a Grey Heron.  We had remarked about the lack of Stonechats in this habitat where they would be expected, however, then we saw one sitting on top of a small pine.  In the distance a Raven flew past.  A Willow Warbler was seen skulking in the bushes with food in its beak and a Chiffchaff sang from a tree.

Nearing the railway bridge we could hear a Garden Warbler singing but were unable to locate it for a view, and a family of Nuthatches was very active flying to and from a garden birdfeeder.  A Buzzard circled high up above us.  We took a path through another area of heathland where we heard a Dartford Warbler. Unfortunately for us, the birds were keeping out of view in the heather.  Long-tailed Tits were observed in a group of birch trees and a Coal Tit sang.  We took the path back and returned towards the pond.  On the way movement alerted us to something which turned out to be a Treecreeper which unusually perched perfectly still halfway up a tree for an extended period of time so we all could see it.  The pond itself was very quiet, with no bird life in evidence save for a Moorhen calling.  Throughout the morning we frequently heard Goldcrests but none were seen.

By the time we returned to the car park we had managed a list of thirty two species in all (including those heard) which made for a very interesting morning with many fledgling birds in evidence.

Whitmoor Common 5 June 2022

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A forecast of rain all day and a dank, dismal morning limited the gathering at the Jolly Farmer to six foolhardy souls. It seemed though that the rain had passed through quicker than expected and we had to contend with no more than damp conditions. We ventured first behind the pub and saw an agitated great spotted woodpecker disturbed no doubt about our proximity to its nest. Moving rapidly on we checked the area with feeders to find they had been removed. As a result sightings were confined to a dunnock, robins, a jay and a collared dove. Moving on to the woods we encountered a group of newly fledged great tits and heard chiffchaffs singing. Along the boardwalk we noted how overgrown the heath was becoming. Soon though we heard the scratchy song of a Dartford warbler and then saw a second conveniently perched in a pine. A few linnets flew around and a single stonechat was silhouetted at the top of a tree. A noisy squawk then alerted us to a crow mobbing a kestrel. Crossing the railway bridge we heard a blackcap and a couple of assertive wrens while from the heather came the songs of two whitethroats. The return across the heath gave us further sightings of Dartford warblers, some of them recently fledged. The bird of the walk though was the great spotted woodpecker; over the morning we counted eight of them pipping away right across the reserve. In the conditions a species list of 27 was perhaps better than might have been expected.

Whitmoor Common 6 June 2021

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Sixteen members attended this walk aimed at newcomers on a cloudy, unsettled conditions. We first visited the private feeders near the car park to the accompaniment of an invisible blackcap in full song. There we were treated to the sight of a juvenile great spotted woodpecker being fed by a parent. The woods were relatively quiet but keen eyes picked out a singing chiffchaff at the top of a tall tree. As we entered the heath a Dartford warbler flashed across the boardwalk in front of us a couple of times. In the middle of the heather we had our first sightings of linnets perched on the gorse while a distant stonechat put in an appearance. By this time rain had started and we hurried for shelter across the railway. There we found more linnets and a whitethroat while a song thrush sang in view. As conditions improved sightings became more frequent. In the distance four red kites, the only raptors of the morning, cruised in the air. Back at the start of the boardwalk we had a choice of very good views of stonechats and linnets perched on the gorse and of a Dartford warbler posing low in a silver birch.