Trip reports

Local Walk at Northaw Great Wood

Sunday, 1 June 2008

Todays walk was around Northaw Great Wood, a 300 acre ancient woodland, west of Cuffley. It is a very pleasant site with ample parking and an information centre with toilets. There are three waymarked routes for visitors to follow ranging from ¾ mile to 2½ miles. More information can be found on the Friends of Northaw Great Wood website: www.friendsofnorthawgreatwood.org.uk

Our walk leader today was Mike Oakland, the weather was dry but cloudy during the walk, with the sun just breaking through on a couple of occasions. 11 supporters joined this walk.

Woodland birds can be very secretive and difficult to see at this time of the year as most are now nesting. So it was more of a bird 'hearing' day than bird watching but nevertheless we managed to identify 22 species.

Highlights:
The highlights of the day included good views of Goldcrest, regularly visiting a hidden nest in one of the Yew trees near the car park and Blue Tits feeding young at a nest hole barely two feet off the ground in a Silver Birch.

Unfortunately, the lowlight was the sight of a partly fledged Great Spotted Woodpecker that had climbed out of its nest hole, clinging to the side of the tree. When the adult bird came back to the nest the chick lost its grip and plummeted to the ground twenty feet below. The bird was unhurt and we placed it on a branch part way up the nest tree, in accordance with RSPB guidelines, in the hope that the adult birds may find and continue to feed the youngster.

Species seen or heard:
Woodpigeon, Swift, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Nuthatch, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jay and Chaffinch

Many thanks to Mike for leading this walk.