Woodland birds

[pheonix]

in my efforts to see more and more birds im after a site where i cam find wood warbler, redstart, and flycatchers, preferably in oxfordshire or warwickshire.
Can anyone recommend a site?
Ive found out Coombes valley RSPB in staffordshire has all of these species, but is a bit far without planning a day trip. ive found Bernwood forrest nr oxford and otmoor which may be worth a look but i cant find any bird records for it?

Any help would be most appreciated

[pheonix]

i meant to say bernwood forest NR otmoor!

i think im going to try wyre forest, worcs. is anyone familliar with this or any other sites that turn up these species in the midlands?

[life through a lens]

Hi Pheonix,

Only been to that neck of the woods (excuse the pun) once but was the sort of weekend I have no recollection of

Have you tried the following for information :-

http://www.warwickshire-wildlife-trust.org.uk/

http://www.rspb-oxford.org.uk

Good luck for wherever you go.

Olly

[rlchew]

Hi Pheonix

Sorry I can not help you with your request.

I live in Essex and we don't see these 3 birds here except an occasional passage migrant.

Therefore an annual trip to Snowdonia or Yyns-hir RSPB reserve is what I have to do to catch up with them. I always manage to see them and what a beautiful part of the world.

Like Essex, I am not sure you are going to find too many or indeed any sites in Oxfordshire and of course you have no coastline for the migrnats.

Richard

[John]

Originally Posted by pheonix

i meant to say bernwood forest NR otmoor!

i think im going to try wyre forest, worcs. is anyone familliar with this or any other sites that turn up these species in the midlands?

Hi Phoenix

Wyre Forest is superb but at the moment Wood Warblers are having a bad time there. There were hardly any reported last year and I think it is also very quiet for them this year as well.

Tree Pipits, Redstarts and Pied Flys are there now and I know the sites where you should see them. Here is the link to where you park your car. There are also Dipper resident here. Here is a link to where the car park is. http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.sr...=newsearch.srf

The last road you drive down is Dry Mill lane. At the very bottom of that lane (at the bottom of a hill) you will come to a fork where a dirt track goes off to the left. Take that track as it goes to a car park. Once in the car park park up and you will see a tarmac road going under a bridge. walk along that road. After a few hundred yards you will come to an obvious clearing on your left with a gate across another path going up a hill. This is the Tree Pipit area and you can see them from the road or sometimes a bit further in. In fact as you walk further along the Tarmac path they can be seen amongst the trees that line the road.

Once you have walked past this area by about two to three hundred yards you will come to a gate on your right. The wood to your right from then on is the Pied Fly area and if you don't see or hear them as you walk along the tarmac road don't worry as you can double back through the woods later on. Keep walking along the road and you will see a bridge in the distance. Just before you go under it there is a path off to your right that goes up to a Lodge. Take that path and you then have to use the gate to get onto the path that goes over the bridge. Once over that bridge you are now in Redstart territory. You may have to sit and listen for their calls but it is in the field to the right after you cross the bridge where they are situated. Keep an eye on the few trees dotted around this field.

Your next walk will take you down to Dowles Brook, where the Dipper are. On your way you will pass the Pied Fly area again and also what is usually a good Wood Warbler site (although they weren't there last year).

Walk back over the bridge and back through the gate. Opposite the lodge there is a stye on the right. Cross over this and down slightly to your left where you will see another stye at the edge of the wood. Over this stie and you are now in the Pied Fly area again. Have a walk around there but what you must be mindful of is that you need to be back on a track that goes down to Dowles Brook. Once you have gone into the wood you need to work your way back to your left until you come to a path that is skirted by a fence. Keeping the fence to your left walk down it until you come to another lodge. About 50 yards before it is the what was the good Wood warbler site. Once past there you cross over a bridge and then go right. As much as you can follow the line of the river (there is a path that goes straight but the river meanders away from it on a few occasions). There are paths off it that follow the path of the river which you need to keep on until you reach a house that breeds Bulldogs. Along this stretch you should see Dipper if you look hard enough. You might here their call first.

Once past the last house you cross over the river again and then you go by a small Severn Trent Water hut on your left. Just past here can be a good Garden Warbler site. Once past here the path takes a right hand turn up to the track you drove up to get to the car park. This is the end of a nice circular walk. This whole walk can be a very productive walk.

There is also a chance of Crossbills from time to time. Quite a few Buzzards are in the area and I have had Goshawk twice there. Lesser spotted Woodpeckers are on this walk also (although I have only ever heard them and not seen them.

I hope that is of help to you.

John

[pheonix]

thanks so much for your help people, i'm definately going to try wyre forest soon (when the weathers a bit nicer) and i might work coombes valley into a family visit soon aswell.

thanks again

[pheonix]

I start off with a big smile because this morning i went to wyre forest and had a great time, even though it was very wet.

I wont go on and bore you, but i did see tree pipits, a wood warbler, dipper, and a pair of grey wagtails. aswell as many more common birds, including a good look at tree creepers and nuthatches and GSWoodpecker, which im happy about because i never really see these birds.

The wood warbler was a big one for me, took ages to actually locate as it was in the crown of a big oak, but eventually got a good veiw (thats another one off the warbler list ).

Unfortunately no sign of redstarts or flycatchers, but i had a gret ay anyway - would recomend a visit to anyone whose close enough or visiting the area.

thanks again for the help - johns directions are spot on

[John]

Originally Posted by pheonix

I start off with a big smile because this morning i went to wyre forest and had a great time, even though it was very wet.

I wont go on and bore you, but i did see tree pipits, a wood warbler, dipper, and a pair of grey wagtails. aswell as many more common birds, including a good look at tree creepers and nuthatches and GSWoodpecker, which im happy about because i never really see these birds.

The wood warbler was a big one for me, took ages to actually locate as it was in the crown of a big oak, but eventually got a good veiw (thats another one off the warbler list ).

Unfortunately no sign of redstarts or flycatchers, but i had a gret ay anyway - would recomend a visit to anyone whose close enough or visiting the area.

thanks again for the help - johns directions are spot on

Glad to help. It's a shame you didn't get the Redstarts or Pied Flycatcher but you did extremely well in getting the Wood warbler. Congrats.

Great place isn't it?

John