A morning’s birdwatching in Coldfall Wood started, as walks in Coldfall Wood often do, with my hearing much but seeing little. My knowledge of birdsong is getting better as I was able to recognise the call of a Wren. Small bird, big voice. Blue Tits and Blackbirds – two calls that I have no problems recognising – could also be heard, along with a Green Woodpecker (often heard but never seen!) and lots of Carrion Crows. The Ring-necked Parakeets, meanwhile, were by far the loudest!
I was soon rewarded with some sightings, with Blackbirds flitting across the path and Ring-necked Parakeets in the trees, along with many Carrion Crows circling overhead. I found the smaller birds more rewarding though – a Robin skulking near ground level, a female Chaffinch, some Great Tits and a couple of Blue Tits. Then a quick, blink-and-you’ll miss it sighting of a Wren that I just about managed to focus on with the binoculars before it flew off. Further on, I spotted two Jays on the ground looking for acorns.
The continually circling crows were explained, I think, by the fact that the playing fields beyond the wood were being used for Sunday morning football matches. The crows can often be seen on the fields in large groups and they appeared to be waiting for the footballers to finish and leave so they could have their fields back! This did not deter a crowd of Black-headed Gulls from gathering on the ground though.
And finally – back into the wood, and to a clearing where, if you wait for a while, you’ll see the birds flying across. Along with the Ring-necked Parakeets I saw what at first glance appeared to be two more Great Tits, but on closer inspection with the bins turned out to be Nuthatches feeding in the trees. All in all, a rewarding morning.
Carrion Crow x 30
Woodpigeon x4
Robin
Blackbird x7 (2m, 5f)
Ring-necked Parakeet x10
Blue Tit x2
Great Tit x5
Jay x2
Chaffinch x1 (f)
Wren
Magpie
Black-headed Gull x40
Feral Pigeon x50
Nuthatch x2
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