Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds (2 Viewers)

[Gert Corfield]

Chaddesley Woods is a National Nature reserve managed by the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Further details can be found
Here

The area covered by this thread is approximately as seen from the loop on public footpaths per below;



Having visited the reserve and surrounding fields for over 25 years, a sample of birds seen and taken from my BirdTrack records are shown here. Added to this should be;

Crossbill - a scarce autumn visitor
Redstart - seen by others
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - again a scarce/rare visitor

Comment on rare species below;

Willow Tit - I recorded one in 1999, but now probably extinct as in most of the rest of Worcestershire
Tree Pipit - I recorded one this spring (2023) for the first time, thanks in large part to the Trust thinning out an area at the top of the woods
Woodlark - one in 2016 to the fields west of the woods
Waxwing - recorded during the irruption in 2017
Marsh Tit - at least one recorded annually, but rare
Spotted Flycatcher - up to 3 recorded this autumn (2023) with a juvenile, but it is not clear if Spotted Flycatcher breed in the woods

Missing are Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler, but I suspect these at least pass through so always worth looking out for.

Hopefully others will post their sightings here as the area has potential to produce rarities but more importantly a picture of the progress of the scarcer woodland species would be interesting to see.

Selected Species	Recs	Places	Rep%	1st Date	1st Place
Pied/White Wagtail	6​	2​	20​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
(Pied/White Wagtail)	2​	1​	6.7​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
(Pied Wagtail (yarrellii))	4​	1​	13.3​	08/03/2021​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Blackbird	26​	4​	86.7​	09/05/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Blackcap	19​	3​	56.7​	10/05/1997​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Black-headed Gull	6​	1​	20​	05/04/2014​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Blue Tit	31​	4​	100​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Brambling	1​	1​	3.3​	25/11/2021​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Bullfinch	8​	1​	23.3​	03/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Buzzard	25​	3​	73.3​	10/05/1997​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Canada Goose	4​	1​	13.3​	05/04/2014​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Carrion Crow	29​	4​	96.7​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Chaffinch	28​	4​	90​	17/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Chiffchaff	24​	3​	66.7​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Coal Tit	25​	3​	76.7​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Collared Dove	1​	1​	3.3​	03/04/2015​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Cormorant	4​	2​	13.3​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Cuckoo	7​	2​	10​	20/05/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Dunnock	22​	3​	73.3​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Fieldfare	4​	2​	13.3​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Garden Warbler	7​	2​	20​	13/05/2021​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Goldcrest	22​	3​	73.3​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Goldfinch	22​	4​	73.3​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Great Spotted Woodpecker	27​	4​	80​	10/05/1997​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Great Tit	28​	4​	93.3​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Greenfinch	1​	1​	3.3​	21/05/2023​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Green Woodpecker	15​	1​	46.7​	03/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Grey Heron	3​	2​	6.7​	18/10/2013​	Chaddersley Corbett
Herring Gull	1​	1​	3.3​	05/04/2014​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
House Martin	1​	1​	3.3​	25/08/2013​	Chaddersley Corbett
House Sparrow	6​	2​	16.7​	25/08/2013​	Chaddersley Corbett
Jackdaw	23​	4​	73.3​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Jay	22​	4​	73.3​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Kestrel	4​	2​	10​	17/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Lesser Black-backed Gull	10​	2​	30​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Lesser Redpoll	2​	1​	6.7​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Lesser Whitethroat	5​	1​	6.7​	07/06/2015​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Linnet	12​	2​	33.3​	18/10/2013​	Chaddersley Corbett
Long-tailed Tit	24​	4​	80​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Magpie	25​	4​	83.3​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Mallard	2​	1​	3.3​	17/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Marsh Tit	2​	2​	6.7​	16/04/2022​	Chaddersley Corbett
Meadow Pipit	8​	2​	20​	17/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Mistle Thrush	19​	2​	56.7​	10/05/1997​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Moorhen	3​	2​	10​	18/07/2022​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Nuthatch	24​	3​	76.7​	20/05/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Peregrine	1​	1​	3.3​	08/12/2022​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Pheasant	9​	1​	30​	02/03/2021​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Raven	7​	2​	20​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Redwing	9​	3​	26.7​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Reed Bunting	1​	1​	3.3​	18/07/2022​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Robin	29​	4​	96.7​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Rook	7​	1​	23.3​	20/05/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Siskin	8​	1​	26.7​	22/12/2020​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Skylark	20​	2​	56.7​	17/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Song Thrush	24​	4​	73.3​	27/03/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Sparrowhawk	1​	1​	3.3​	18/07/2022​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Spotted Flycatcher	2​	1​	6.7​	24/07/2022​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Starling	13​	3​	43.3​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Stock Dove	11​	1​	36.7​	05/04/2014​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Stonechat	2​	1​	3.3​	26/12/2020​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Swallow	7​	2​	20​	25/08/2013​	Chaddersley Corbett
Swift	3​	1​	10​	09/05/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Treecreeper	15​	3​	46.7​	28/10/2012​	Chaddersley Corbett
Tree Pipit	1​	1​	3.3​	22/04/2023​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Waxwing	1​	1​	0​	01/01/2017​	Chaddersley Corbett
Wheatear	1​	1​	3.3​	25/04/2023​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Whitethroat	9​	2​	23.3​	25/08/2013​	Chaddersley Corbett
Willow Tit	1​	1​	3.3​	20/05/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Willow Warbler	4​	1​	3.3​	22/04/2021​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Woodlark	1​	1​	3.3​	22/10/2016​	Chaddersley Corbett
Woodpigeon	25​	4​	83.3​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Wren	28​	4​	93.3​	03/05/1998​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Yellowhammer	21​	2​	53.3​	17/04/1999​	Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
Yellow Wagtail	6​	2​	16.7​	25/08/2013​	Chaddersley Corbett

 

[Mono]

I have friends in Chaddesley Corbett. I have a few walks around the woods. It is great to see patch records like this.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Excellent record keeping Gert 👏

 

[Gert Corfield]

2 Brambling, Crossbill and 25 Siskin reported for the woods on BirdTrack for Saturday 11th November.

 

[Gert Corfield]

Not far from Chaddesley (Woodrow), 200 Linnet, 150 Skylark, 4 Yellowhammer reported via Bird track on 18/11.

 

[Gert Corfield]

This may be of interest-link to a report by Eliot Howard (amateur ornithologist who lived in Kidderminster) who did a dawn chorus walk in Chaddesley in 1899. Below that a link to a video I made of the dawn chorus there in May this year. The contrast in species is quite staggering.

The Zoologist/4th series, vol 3 (1899)/Issue 696/Notes on Some Birds from North Worcestershire, Howard - Wikisource, the free online library

en.wikisource.org

 

[Woodchat]

An interesting but very depressing read Gert - a case of ''Paradise Lost'. Since 1899 the human population of the UK has increased from c38 million to more than 67 million and the global population from c1.6 billion to 8 billion. Even if we now lived a similar lifestyle as we did then, the scale of those increases would surely still have a significant impact on our natural environment. The fact that our wasteful consumerism accelerates unabated just adds to the pressures on our natural ecosystems. Estimates vary but the average human ecological footprint is now thought to be between 2.7 and 5 hectares - every one of us - for our housing, growing our crops, mining resources, roads for transporting goods, facilities for dealing with our waste, energy infrastructure ,etc, etc. Is it any wonder that our once-abundant wildlife is being squeezed to the point of rarity?

As David Attenborough once said, the only people who believe that infinite human population growth is possible on a finite planet are either mad or are an economist. All of our envonmental problems become easier to solve with fewer people, and harder - and ultimately impossible - to solve with ever more people.

But to even talk about these things is often taboo. People in general and, more worryingly, governments - seem to just bury their heads in the sand - prefering to ignore it (it would seem) hoping that it will sort itself out. Well, if it is left to nature to 'sort it out' it is very unlikely to be humane in the long run. The best humanity can hope for is that the world finally wakes up to the impending Malthusian catastrophe and formulates a plan for a 'soft landing'.

Sorry, I really didn't want to hijack your thread - the loss of species diversity in a local woodland like Chaddesley that you highlighted above is just the tip of the iceberg and is an indicator of a much wider pattern.

 

[Gert Corfield]

Couldn't agree more Dave and I fear we are well beyond the point that we can do much about it other than fiddle around the edges. Climate change, another consequence of a rapidly growing population, has brought some new species of course but they'll run out of space as they head further north as is already happening with some commoner species - look at Willow Warbler.
I feel sorry for the young Birders starting at such a low benchmark - shifting baseline syndrome isn't that what they call it?
This isn't just my thread and very happy for others to contribute - a lot more space to write stuff!

 

[Woodchat]

Well I'm glad the subject can be talked about (on here at least) - getting it out into the open is the first stage in attempting to tackle it.

It seems to me that the focus (politically) these days is all about the rights of the individual -without balancing those rights against social responsibilities. Yes it may be someone's right to have 10 kids if they so wish - but is it socially responsible? It may also be the right to rack up 100k+ air miles each year - but is that a responsible thing to do? (Just 2 examples).

Some may say that imposing limits is draconian and harsh but the alternative may be even harsher in the long run. We may find that our current concept of liberal democracy (and all its implications) is a luxury the planet can no longer afford. Just a thought. 👍

 

[Gert Corfield]

Careful Dave that sort of talk of social responsibilities will get you called all sorts of names on the new improved right wing version of Twatter. Well out of that one!
I agree and I suspect some of these measures will come, but only when we're staring in to the precipice

 

[Gert Corfield]

This morning's visit highlights;
32 Siskin in an around the Conifers with 12 Lesser Redpoll. 1 possibly 2 Brambling with Chaffinch and 10 Coal Tit.
In the fields between the Woods and Chaddesley Corbett, 5 Yellowhammer, 10 Skylark, c 20 Meadow Pipit. A few fields have been left fallow so that is looking encouraging
Generally c300 Redwing, 150 Fieldfare and a movement of c1000 Woodpigeon.

 

[Woodchat]

Never done Twatter Gert. It's funny how the left and right both start to resemble each other at their respective extremes - much like the pigs and humans in Orwell's animal farm. It's a shame they don't put more effort into finding common ground instead of perpetuating divisions. A global political consensus would be essential for effectively tackling the ecological problems we face - doubt it will ever be achieved when so many seem intent of throwing mud at their opponents and stifling legitimate debate.

 

[Gert Corfield]

Eloquently put. Quite a rare point of view in this polarized world we live in. Twatter nearly ruined birding for me so probably the best decision you made there!

 

[JoshT01]

Nice to see a thread for Chaddesley Woods Gert. I will follow with intrigue and contribute where I can (though not with everything!). Just looking at your first post, spotted flycatcher almost certainly breed in the woods (I had July records this year), and I recorded crossbill in July too this year. Marsh tit seem to be the latest casualty of widespread declines in North Worcs, no breeding season records for me at all in last two years, and just one record this year in Feb. Your tree pipit record was good, a shame it didn't hold territory. I will keep trying to bird Chaddesley and surrounding woods though!

 

[Gert Corfield]

Nice one Josh. Good to hear re Crossbill and encouraging about Spotted Flycatcher! I think the woods are under watched, especially in spring so good to have another pair of eyes

 

[Gert Corfield]

Good Siskin numbers still at the top end of the woods with at least 20 present yesterday. Also 6 Coal Tit, 3 Nuthatch and good numbers Redwing and Fieldfare. In the fields, 8 Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark, c35 Chaffinch and 2 Yellowhammer the best.

 

[G. H. 1]

Haven't checked into Bird forum for a while so nice to see this thread Gert, a regular visit for me so will put down anything of note. Cheers Glenn 👍

 

[G. H. 1]

A good bird to kick the Chaddesley year list off with - 1x Woodcock flushed in the woods this morning.

 

[G. H. 1]

My first Butterflies of the year seen in the woods this morning : 2x (poss. 3x) Brimstone along the rides.

 

[Gert Corfield]

Bluesky

bsky.app