Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds (1 Viewer)

[G. H. 1]

A good day for Butterflies along the main ride yesterday ( 30.03.24) in the woods good numbers of Brimstone and my first Orange - tip of the season.

 

[Ian Byrnes]

Gert... I hadn't seen your posts before. Very informative of my home surroundings. In Woodrow we still have good numbers of Skylark across Pardoes farm and luckily around 20-30 regular breeding Yellowhammer down the hedgerows of Tandy Lane and the farm track which is parallel to Woodrow Lane. As you state - there are good numbers of Linnet flocking and often swooping in numbers to drink from the puddles across the fields. There are Redpoll, Bullfinch Pair and Siskin in the Alders close to my home and there are always good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare in the fields adjoining Woodrow Lane.
2 local farmers have used nitrate winter cover crop which attracted enormous numbers of mixed Finch some years ago and up to 40-50 Brambling... a wonderful site. These drew the attention of 2 Merlin which visited for 2 years.
I saw and heard my first Common Whitethroat yesterday perched on the usual spot.. telephone wires. Chiffchaff numbers have increased this year. There are breeding Jay along Tandy lane which regularly visit my garden front and back on Woodrow Lane. Goldcrest also breed in my garden conifers and a GSWoodpecker regularly drums away on a telegraph pole at the end of my garden.
On my daily walks with Daisy my dog I always see several resident Buzzards.. 2 pairing by the farm ready to breed and 2 paired at Hill Pool nesting in high conifers in the grounds of Sion Court.
The stream which runs through the valley on private land across Hill Pool and Drayton is home to a Kingfisher Grey Wagtail & Dippers ( 2 now - 4 in previous years ). The area also has 2 resident Kestrel, a Sparrow Hawk, a Tawny Owl and a Barn Owl over from my house ( in a barn !!!) This also houses Swallows in summer.
In the 21 years I've lived here it appears that the species I've seen a real decline in are Meadow Pipits and Greenfinch. Up until 3 years ago there were circa 20 Greenfinch.. I now see none.
I rarely go to Chaddesley Woods because of the abundance of dog walkers (no problem - but it's easier to walk my own meadows).
I'm awaiting Northern Wheatear on the fields at the back of my house at the moment - 5 last year- but there have been up to 12 a few years back and the Redstart hopefully will be back again between Chaddesley Corbett and Harvington Hall.
Red Kites regularly fly above the fields now... something I never saw other than on my daily jaunts to London down the M40 years ago.
Keep up the good work mate.

 

[Jimbo1948]

Gert... I hadn't seen your posts before. Very informative of my home surroundings. In Woodrow we still have good numbers of Skylark across Pardoes farm and luckily around 20-30 regular breeding Yellowhammer down the hedgerows of Tandy Lane and the farm track which is parallel to Woodrow Lane. As you state - there are good numbers of Linnet flocking and often swooping in numbers to drink from the puddles across the fields. There are Redpoll, Bullfinch Pair and Siskin in the Alders close to my home and there are always good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare in the fields adjoining Woodrow Lane.
2 local farmers have used nitrate winter cover crop which attracted enormous numbers of mixed Finch some years ago and up to 40-50 Brambling... a wonderful site. These drew the attention of 2 Merlin which visited for 2 years.
I saw and heard my first Common Whitethroat yesterday perched on the usual spot.. telephone wires. Chiffchaff numbers have increased this year. There are breeding Jay along Tandy lane which regularly visit my garden front and back on Woodrow Lane. Goldcrest also breed in my garden conifers and a GSWoodpecker regularly drums away on a telegraph pole at the end of my garden.
On my daily walks with Daisy my dog I always see several resident Buzzards.. 2 pairing by the farm ready to breed and 2 paired at Hill Pool nesting in high conifers in the grounds of Sion Court.
The stream which runs through the valley on private land across Hill Pool and Drayton is home to a Kingfisher Grey Wagtail & Dippers ( 2 now - 4 in previous years ). The area also has 2 resident Kestrel, a Sparrow Hawk, a Tawny Owl and a Barn Owl over from my house ( in a barn !!!) This also houses Swallows in summer.
In the 21 years I've lived here it appears that the species I've seen a real decline in are Meadow Pipits and Greenfinch. Up until 3 years ago there were circa 20 Greenfinch.. I now see none.
I rarely go to Chaddesley Woods because of the abundance of dog walkers (no problem - but it's easier to walk my own meadows).
I'm awaiting Northern Wheatear on the fields at the back of my house at the moment - 5 last year- but there have been up to 12 a few years back and the Redstart hopefully will be back again between Chaddesley Corbett and Harvington Hall.
Red Kites regularly fly above the fields now... something I never saw other than on my daily jaunts to London down the M40 years ago.
Keep up the good work mate.

Great report Ian , let's have more of these .
Brilliant shots as well .

 

[Ian Byrnes]

Great report Ian , let's have more of these .
Brilliant shots as well .

Thanks Jim... and I never resorted to the Browny Box once !!

 

[Gert Corfield]

Nice one Ian - I had kind of given up on this thread as X still rules it seems but great to see your input and photos. Last year I had Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear on the paddock where the pigs are kept near the fishing pools at the back of Rowberry Garden Centre. Cheers

 

[Ian Byrnes]

Nice one Ian - I had kind of given up on this thread as X still rules it seems but great to see your input and photos. Last year I had Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear on the paddock where the pigs are kept near the fishing pools at the back of Rowberry Garden Centre. Cheers

Gert - a few years back before covid - in December & January that paddock was a joy with Redpoll, Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, a Jay, Redwing, Fieldfare, Reed Bunting, Dunnocks, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Skylark & Meadow Pipit and a Grey Heron on the pool.I remember on a frosty Boxing day the high oak tree (I think it is) had so many species all at once chattering away then swooping to a crop of sprouts with nitrate crop between the rows. I even thought I had an Arctic Redpoll that winter - but Andy Warr wasn't certain. It's been a joy... but the pigs have all been eaten now.
I forgot the Corn Buntings in Woodrow and behind Chaddesley church in the paddocks.
Summer has brought up to 30 Swallows on the power lines in the park in Chaddesley... at the back of the paddocks.
Cuckoo, Deer, Muntjac and Grass Snakes are also resident.
All photos are from this area.

 

[Ian Byrnes]

A Northern Wheatear in the hedgerows down Tandy Lane

 

[Ian Byrnes]

A walk from Woodrow to Chaddesley early bore good results.
2 Buzzards, 3 Goldcrest, 4 Yellowhammer ' Whitethroat, Numerous Skylark, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, Coal Tit, Long tail Tit etc.