Last year I led a guided dawn chorus walk and a Redstart Ramble at Sherwood Forest NNR. I was back there again this year with Notts County Council ranger Claire Watson.
It’s great to see the first summer migrants back in the forest, knowing they’ve made it safely back for another breeding season. On both walks we were heralded by the strident calls of cuckoos and for most people on the dawn chorus walk it was the first time they’ve seen one – we were fortunate to find a singing bird sat in a silver birch tree and then it treated us to a flypast just above our heads.
Singing male tree pipit at Sherwood Forest NNR © Andy Crofts
Tree pipits were singing on both walks as well – one of those LBJs – Little Brown Jobs – but it has a pleasant song that enlivens the open birch groves in Sherwood Forest. The stars of the second walk were the singing male redstarts, which was handy for a walk billed as a Redstart Ramble! I never fail to be impressed with the stunning plumage of a male redstart, especially the striking white blaze across its forehead. The other migrants were saw or heard were chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap and garden warbler. They were joined by the cast of resident bird species that live in the forest, including tawny owl ( a bird flew past us on the Redstart Ramble), green and great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches and treecreepers.
Nuthatch at Sherwood Forest NNR © Andy Crofts
I like to use the photographs of someone whose been on the walk and this time I have two excellent ones by Andy Crofts. Below is one of mine showing people on the Redstart Ramble.
Redstart Ramblers © Carl Cornish
We have a Nightjar Walk on Saturday 31st May 2014, 8.45pm to 10.45 pm, £5 per person and booking is essential as numbers are limited. To book a place please call 01623 823202. For further details and how to book a place please see http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/enjoying/events/eventslisting/?entryid139=399012&p=7
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