The reserve is really coming alive and over the past few days, the site manager and volunteers have been carrying out survey work. So far, there has been no drumming from lesser-spotted woodpeckers but we are as ever hopeful. However, there has been drumming from great spotted woodpecker.
Resident birds have been singing and the proclaiming sound of the song thrush can be heard throughout the woodland, through we suspect that things might still be a little behind as Coombes and Churnet seem to have their own microclimate and it’s still really cold.
Yesterday as the light was fading the site manager walked down to Clough meadow and was lucky enough to get a great view of a woodcock roding. This is a great place to see woodcock at this time of year. Roding is an aerial display by the male and consists of slow, flickering wingbeats and calling whilst flying over the best breeding habitat. The most dominate males will rode the longest and therefore mate with the most females.