Tuesday 6 May 2014

Summer Visitors on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire

A typical view of The Chase.
Photo by Adam Archer

A stroll around a couple of areas of Cannock Chase this morning produced a mass of summer migrants in the sunshine. At the first site a Cuckoo showed quite well when it was not being mobbed by Tree Pipits and Linnets. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker made a brief appearance and a drake Mandarin was also a nice surprise on one of the small woodland pools nearby.

Cuckoo on The Chase.
Photo by Adam Archer

At the second site a couple of male Wood Warblers attempted to 'out sing' one another as they tussled like kids over the same small patch of woodland. Out of twenty five square miles of forest and thousands of deciduous trees to choose from they insisted on scrapping over the same few. Then again I was not complaining too much as they were so engrossed in their territorial dispute to notice me sat just a few yards away. Despite a thorough search I failed in my quest to locate any Pied Flycatchers or Redstarts, an excuse to head back next week though I suppose. 

Prime Wood Warbler habitat.
Photo by Adam Archer

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