Woolmer Pond 14/05/25

I had another free afternoon, so I biked to Woolmer to see what was around. On my way in through the woods, I heard a Firecrest calling- a species I haven't seen or heard for quite a while. On the pond, all the usuals were there- including 6 Canada Geese - and a Kestrel flew overhead. 

After heading towards the cottage, I had a quick look over the field, but nothing could be seen. A quick check in the woods behind the field revealed at least two Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler. In the cottage grounds, there was a lot singing, but not much seen, with a Song Thrush, large amounts of Goldfinch, and another Garden Warbler calling, and a Red Kite flew overhead. There were at least 3 Teal behind the cottage as well, of which two were males. 

A Stonechat was singing from some gorse, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker called from the woods. I decided to have a check of the path leading to the forest, and weirdly, two Woodlark were on it, very distantly. Nothing else seemed to be around, so I biked around the area a bit, with the only bird I found a Kestrel, perched on a tree.

I decided, after a while, to head around to the other side of the pond and also check the woods behind it. Nothing new was on the pond, although a few Swallows, Swifts, and Sand Martins were overhead. 

Almost as soon as I was in the woods, I heard the high-pitched call of a bird I had been hoping to see today. It didn't take long to locate the bird, and soon realised there wasn't just one, but three! All three of the Spotted Flycatchers were very energetic and difficult to photograph, often perching at the tops of trees. 

I was very happy to see these marvellous birds—not only were they my first this year, but also a patch tick. The only other things in the woods were a few Coal Tits and the Firecrest calling again. The two Spotted Flycatchers started chasing each other about, which was very fun to watch. Sadly, they flew off, and I couldn't find them again, so I headed back to the cottage.

On my way there, I spotted the two Egyptian Geese at the back of the pond, and a Buzzard was circling overhead, before it dove down at great speed. 

I made it back to the cottage, and, to my surprise, a Green Woodpecker flew up from the ground, calling. This is the second time recently I've heard/seen them in the area, maybe their coming back? 

After another 30 minutes of searching around, I couldn't find anything new, with the Whitethroat still present in the woods. A Magpie was on the field quite close to the fence, but that was one of the only things seen. 

I decided to have another check of what was on the pond before heading home. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the water, and a Sparrowhawk flew overhead. The two Hobbies were hawking at the back of the pond, but wouldn't come close enough for photos. Just before I left, the Kestrel flew over before heading off towards Longmoor. 

I really enjoyed seeing the Spotted Flycatchers, even though seemingly bland, they are one of my favourite birds. My year list had been pushed up to 161, and I had gained a nice patch tick, always a great feeling.