I have now been visiting Astonbury Wood for over a year recording all birds seen or heard in order to make comparisons with Richard Gazzard’s earlier study (Astonbury Wood Newsletter No. 9, March 1999) and to make specific notes of any birds using glades within the wood and any species using Long Meadow. My visits were at roughly fortnightly intervals, depending on weather and other commitments and were mostly made early in the morning as that is when the birds are most active. On each visit I kept a log of all species recorded. At each of nine recording points (7 in the woods and 2 in Long Meadow) I also counted all species seen or heard in a 5-minute recording period. Each visit lasted between 2-3 hours, usually depending on the time I had available, i.e. should I really be in work by now!
The bird survey got under way on the last Sunday of October 2001, the weekend the clocks went back. The following seasonal account of birds recorded in Astonbury Wood begins in December 2001. Some of my earlier observations have already appeared in ‘The Bluebell’ but are repeated here for completeness.
Winter: December 2001 – February 2002
By early December all the leaves have gone from the deciduous trees making it easier to observe mixed flocks of tits and finches that rove through the tree tops and other species that fly over the wood. Blue Tits and Great Tits were recorded throughout the woodland, although more numerous in the deciduous trees, while Coal Tits and Goldcrests were more likely to be found in the stands of coniferous trees. Nuthatches and Treecreepers were occasionally associated with these flocks, but not as frequently as I had expected. Winter thrushes, Redwing and Fieldfare, were largely absent from the wood, there being few berry bearing trees and shrubs, but were occasionally recorded flying over. Small flocks, often accompanied by Blackbirds and Song Thrushes were sometimes found in the hawthorn bushes bordering Stevenage Brook and Long Meadow, but disappointingly were never recorded feeding in the meadow itself. Up to three Woodcock wintered to the south-east of the main pond; their cryptic plumage is such that they were only seen when flushed as I moved between recording points. A feature of this season is the movement of gulls following the line of Stevenage Brook. All five common species of gull, Greater Black-back, Herring, Lesser Black-back, Common and Black-headed were noted although the latter was by far the most numerous.
Spring: March 2002 – May 2002
This is an exciting season for the bird-watcher. Resident birds begin to take up territories and advertise their presence with song, a few winter visitors are still hanging around and the summer migrants begin to arrive, slowly at first and the as conditions become more favourable, in large numbers. By early March the snowdrops and primroses were in flower and some trees were beginning to come into leaf. Despite early morning frosts all the common resident species were in song, Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming and Green Woodpeckers yodelling. A Chiff-chaff, calling at the southern end of the wood on 19 March 2002 was the first summer migrant. By the end of March both Blue Tit and Jackdaw had been seen carrying nesting material into tree hollows. By mid-April the number of singing Chiff-chaffs had risen to six, which were joined by several warbling Blackcaps and the occasional Swallow overhead. A pair of Canada Geese took up residence on the main pond, raising hopes that they might breed, but nothing seemed to come of it. By mid-May the floor of the wood was a sea of bluebells and most of the trees were in full leaf making it quite dark under the canopy and restricting the lines of sight. Most records would now be heard rather than seen. I only heard one Cuckoo, on 11 May 2002. I had hoped the wintering Woodcock might stay and breed but I had no sightings after 7 February 2002 and no roding birds were noted on my one evening visit in May.
Summer: June 2002 – August 2002
As the birds’ breeding season advances, the song that filled the wood, particularly at first light, is replaced by the many, varied and much more difficult to identify, squawks, cheeps and ticks of young birds demanding to be fed. The young of eight species (Moorhen, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest and Jackdaw) were observed while a further 16 species probably bred in the wood. Moorhen nested on each of the ponds, one pair on each I think, hatching at least twelve young. At the end of June, a family of Goldcrests, the young fledged and out of the nest were seen at the north end of the wood. By mid-July much of the breeding season is over and the wood is a much quieter place as the adult birds become shy and retiring while they moult their old and worn feathers and replace them with new. At this time, some visits produced very few observations. During August some of the summer visitors begin to depart and the last Swifts were seen.
Most of my survey work takes place early in the morning, with only a couple of evening visits and so is not conducted at the best time of day to record butterflies. However, I have seen ten species: Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Purple Hairstreak, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.
Autumn: September 2002 – November 2002
As the birds finish their moult and the leaves begin to fall from the trees, the birds become easier to see. The autumn fruits are attractive to a wide variety of species. Normally insectivorous species, such as Blackcap and Chiff-chaff build up their body weight by gorging on elder berries, which also seem to be a favourite of Wood Pigeons. The summer migrants continue to leave and flocks of House Martin were recorded over the wood regularly during this period, usually in the company of Swallows. Other species also seem to be on the move; three Grey Wagtails and several Pied Wagtails appeared along Stevenage Brook. The last of the summer migrants was seen in early October. The gales of late October caused much damage, bringing down many trees and branches but on the positive side may have created more hollows for hole-nesting species. The first winter visitors were seen on 2 November 2002 when a mixed flock of Redwing and Fieldfare, plus a few Blackbirds and Song Thrushes was recorded feeding on the heavy haw crop in the bushes alongside Stevenage Brook. This hedgerow also provides a ‘main road’ for foraging flocks of tits including, on most autumn visits, up to 15 Long-tailed Tits accompanied by at least four Blue Tits and four Great Tits and on two occasions by a single Marsh Tit. Sadly, the Woodcock did not return to their wintering area in the east of the wood.
Conclusion
Seven species (Wood Pigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Chaffinch) have been recorded on every visit while a further four species (Wren and Dunnock, Blackbird and Great Tit) have been seen on all visits bar one. Conversely, six species were only recorded on one visit (Greater Black-backed Gull, Tawny Owl, Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll). Wood Pigeon was the most numerous species, closely followed by Jackdaw and Robin.
Most surprising observation was a Harris Hawk first recorded on 22 February 2002 and then again on 19 March 2002. This distinctive North American bird of prey was assumed to have escaped from a falconry. At the same time there were reports of this species from Amwell gravel pits (near Ware, Hertfordshire) and somewhere in Bedfordshire (possibly relating to the same bird?).
The woodland glades with low shrubbery, mostly brambles were better for birds than those lacking ground cover, other than leaf litter, where no birds were recorded. Many of the smaller woodland species, e.g. Blackcap, Wren and Dunnock favoured the areas with dense undergrowth. However, the open areas of the glade do make observations easier as they allow unobstructed views into the tree canopy.
Long Meadow was a disappointment. Observations of birds feeding in the meadow were few and far between. Carrion Crow, Green Woodpecker and Magpie were recorded feeding in the field while two immature Herons were seen standing beside a flooded area (after heavy rain in November 2002). Blackbirds and Robins were occasionally seen at the meadow’s edges. I had hoped to see flocks of starlings and, possibly some winter thrushes feeding in the grassland but none were. This possibly suggests that the soil invertebrate fauna may be impoverished something that might possibly be improved by grazing stock on the meadow?
The bird survey got under way on the last Sunday of October 2001, the weekend the clocks went back. The following seasonal account of birds recorded in Astonbury Wood begins in December 2001. Some of my earlier observations have already appeared in ‘The Bluebell’ but are repeated here for completeness.
Winter: December 2001 – February 2002
By early December all the leaves have gone from the deciduous trees making it easier to observe mixed flocks of tits and finches that rove through the tree tops and other species that fly over the wood. Blue Tits and Great Tits were recorded throughout the woodland, although more numerous in the deciduous trees, while Coal Tits and Goldcrests were more likely to be found in the stands of coniferous trees. Nuthatches and Treecreepers were occasionally associated with these flocks, but not as frequently as I had expected. Winter thrushes, Redwing and Fieldfare, were largely absent from the wood, there being few berry bearing trees and shrubs, but were occasionally recorded flying over. Small flocks, often accompanied by Blackbirds and Song Thrushes were sometimes found in the hawthorn bushes bordering Stevenage Brook and Long Meadow, but disappointingly were never recorded feeding in the meadow itself. Up to three Woodcock wintered to the south-east of the main pond; their cryptic plumage is such that they were only seen when flushed as I moved between recording points. A feature of this season is the movement of gulls following the line of Stevenage Brook. All five common species of gull, Greater Black-back, Herring, Lesser Black-back, Common and Black-headed were noted although the latter was by far the most numerous.
Spring: March 2002 – May 2002
This is an exciting season for the bird-watcher. Resident birds begin to take up territories and advertise their presence with song, a few winter visitors are still hanging around and the summer migrants begin to arrive, slowly at first and the as conditions become more favourable, in large numbers. By early March the snowdrops and primroses were in flower and some trees were beginning to come into leaf. Despite early morning frosts all the common resident species were in song, Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming and Green Woodpeckers yodelling. A Chiff-chaff, calling at the southern end of the wood on 19 March 2002 was the first summer migrant. By the end of March both Blue Tit and Jackdaw had been seen carrying nesting material into tree hollows. By mid-April the number of singing Chiff-chaffs had risen to six, which were joined by several warbling Blackcaps and the occasional Swallow overhead. A pair of Canada Geese took up residence on the main pond, raising hopes that they might breed, but nothing seemed to come of it. By mid-May the floor of the wood was a sea of bluebells and most of the trees were in full leaf making it quite dark under the canopy and restricting the lines of sight. Most records would now be heard rather than seen. I only heard one Cuckoo, on 11 May 2002. I had hoped the wintering Woodcock might stay and breed but I had no sightings after 7 February 2002 and no roding birds were noted on my one evening visit in May.
Summer: June 2002 – August 2002
As the birds’ breeding season advances, the song that filled the wood, particularly at first light, is replaced by the many, varied and much more difficult to identify, squawks, cheeps and ticks of young birds demanding to be fed. The young of eight species (Moorhen, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest and Jackdaw) were observed while a further 16 species probably bred in the wood. Moorhen nested on each of the ponds, one pair on each I think, hatching at least twelve young. At the end of June, a family of Goldcrests, the young fledged and out of the nest were seen at the north end of the wood. By mid-July much of the breeding season is over and the wood is a much quieter place as the adult birds become shy and retiring while they moult their old and worn feathers and replace them with new. At this time, some visits produced very few observations. During August some of the summer visitors begin to depart and the last Swifts were seen.
Most of my survey work takes place early in the morning, with only a couple of evening visits and so is not conducted at the best time of day to record butterflies. However, I have seen ten species: Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Purple Hairstreak, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.
Autumn: September 2002 – November 2002
As the birds finish their moult and the leaves begin to fall from the trees, the birds become easier to see. The autumn fruits are attractive to a wide variety of species. Normally insectivorous species, such as Blackcap and Chiff-chaff build up their body weight by gorging on elder berries, which also seem to be a favourite of Wood Pigeons. The summer migrants continue to leave and flocks of House Martin were recorded over the wood regularly during this period, usually in the company of Swallows. Other species also seem to be on the move; three Grey Wagtails and several Pied Wagtails appeared along Stevenage Brook. The last of the summer migrants was seen in early October. The gales of late October caused much damage, bringing down many trees and branches but on the positive side may have created more hollows for hole-nesting species. The first winter visitors were seen on 2 November 2002 when a mixed flock of Redwing and Fieldfare, plus a few Blackbirds and Song Thrushes was recorded feeding on the heavy haw crop in the bushes alongside Stevenage Brook. This hedgerow also provides a ‘main road’ for foraging flocks of tits including, on most autumn visits, up to 15 Long-tailed Tits accompanied by at least four Blue Tits and four Great Tits and on two occasions by a single Marsh Tit. Sadly, the Woodcock did not return to their wintering area in the east of the wood.
Conclusion
Seven species (Wood Pigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Chaffinch) have been recorded on every visit while a further four species (Wren and Dunnock, Blackbird and Great Tit) have been seen on all visits bar one. Conversely, six species were only recorded on one visit (Greater Black-backed Gull, Tawny Owl, Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll). Wood Pigeon was the most numerous species, closely followed by Jackdaw and Robin.
Most surprising observation was a Harris Hawk first recorded on 22 February 2002 and then again on 19 March 2002. This distinctive North American bird of prey was assumed to have escaped from a falconry. At the same time there were reports of this species from Amwell gravel pits (near Ware, Hertfordshire) and somewhere in Bedfordshire (possibly relating to the same bird?).
The woodland glades with low shrubbery, mostly brambles were better for birds than those lacking ground cover, other than leaf litter, where no birds were recorded. Many of the smaller woodland species, e.g. Blackcap, Wren and Dunnock favoured the areas with dense undergrowth. However, the open areas of the glade do make observations easier as they allow unobstructed views into the tree canopy.
Long Meadow was a disappointment. Observations of birds feeding in the meadow were few and far between. Carrion Crow, Green Woodpecker and Magpie were recorded feeding in the field while two immature Herons were seen standing beside a flooded area (after heavy rain in November 2002). Blackbirds and Robins were occasionally seen at the meadow’s edges. I had hoped to see flocks of starlings and, possibly some winter thrushes feeding in the grassland but none were. This possibly suggests that the soil invertebrate fauna may be impoverished something that might possibly be improved by grazing stock on the meadow?
Kingfishers were only seen along Stevenage Brook on two occasions (10 November 2001 and 22 February 2002). Despite a careful search along Stevenage Brook, where it passes through Long Meadow, I could find no evidence of Kingfishers nesting. Indeed, none have been recorded during the spring and summer months.
In 29 visits to Astonbury Wood I have recorded 63 species of birds (listed below) including 45 of the species seen by Richard Gazzard in his earlier study; the exceptions are Lapwing, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Warbler and Wood Warbler. A couple of species I hoped to record but did not were Hawfinch (apparently not recorded in Astonbury Wood since 1998) and Spotted Flycatcher.
Species List
Cormorant F
Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Harris Hawk
Sparrowhawk M
Kestrel P
Pheasant
Moorhen C
Woodcock W
Common Gull F
Black-headed Gull F
Herring Gull F
Lesser Black-backed Gull F
Great Black-backed Gull F
Wood Pigeon P
Stock Dove M
Collared Dove
Little Owl P
Tawny Owl P
Cuckoo S
Swift F
Kingfisher W
Green Woodpecker P
Great Spotted Woodpecker P
Skylark
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Swallow SF
House Martin SF
Wren C
Dunnock P
Robin C
Blackbird C
Fieldfare W
Song Thrush P
Redwing W
Mistle Thrush M
Blackcap SP
Lesser Whitethroat SM
Chiff-chaff SP
Goldcrest C
Long-tailed Tit P
Marsh Tit M
Coal Tit P
Blue Tit C
Great Tit C
Nuthatch M
Treecreeper M
Jay P
Magpie P
Jackdaw C
Rook
Carrion Crow P
Starling M
Chaffinch P
Greenfinch M
Goldfinch
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Bullfinch
Yellow Hammer
Key:
C = Confirmed Breeding;
F = Flying over only;
M = Might be Breeding
P = Probably Breeding
S = Summer Visitor;
W = Winter Visitor;
In 29 visits to Astonbury Wood I have recorded 63 species of birds (listed below) including 45 of the species seen by Richard Gazzard in his earlier study; the exceptions are Lapwing, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Warbler and Wood Warbler. A couple of species I hoped to record but did not were Hawfinch (apparently not recorded in Astonbury Wood since 1998) and Spotted Flycatcher.
Species List
Cormorant F
Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Harris Hawk
Sparrowhawk M
Kestrel P
Pheasant
Moorhen C
Woodcock W
Common Gull F
Black-headed Gull F
Herring Gull F
Lesser Black-backed Gull F
Great Black-backed Gull F
Wood Pigeon P
Stock Dove M
Collared Dove
Little Owl P
Tawny Owl P
Cuckoo S
Swift F
Kingfisher W
Green Woodpecker P
Great Spotted Woodpecker P
Skylark
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Swallow SF
House Martin SF
Wren C
Dunnock P
Robin C
Blackbird C
Fieldfare W
Song Thrush P
Redwing W
Mistle Thrush M
Blackcap SP
Lesser Whitethroat SM
Chiff-chaff SP
Goldcrest C
Long-tailed Tit P
Marsh Tit M
Coal Tit P
Blue Tit C
Great Tit C
Nuthatch M
Treecreeper M
Jay P
Magpie P
Jackdaw C
Rook
Carrion Crow P
Starling M
Chaffinch P
Greenfinch M
Goldfinch
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Bullfinch
Yellow Hammer
Key:
C = Confirmed Breeding;
F = Flying over only;
M = Might be Breeding
P = Probably Breeding
S = Summer Visitor;
W = Winter Visitor;
