41
BIRD GROUP MEETING, BLAKES WOOD, DANBURY,
24th February, 1985
Fourteen members attended this meeting. After
the recent frosts and snow it was a real delight
to be able to stand and listen to some of our
resident woodland birds. The sun shone for all
the morning and it became pleasantly warm.
Near the parked cars we were able to see and hear
Great Tit and Robin in full song. Making our
way through this wood, owned by the National
Trust, we also heard and saw a Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker. High up in some Alder trees we
saw some small Tit-like birds. After considerable
searching we came to the conclusion that they
were either Marsh or Willow Tit; as they did not
call no definite conclusion could be made.
In one part of the wood, a very muddy part, a Fox
crossed the pathway, after stopping to look at us I
A Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker
were heard, but not seen. In a clearing near
a house, a Brimstone Butterfly was seen, surely
a very early record after such a hard winter.
Whilst making our way to the highest part of the
wood, we flushed out a Woodcock, which must have
been very near to the path.
Other birds seen and heard were as follows:-
Dunnock, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Blackbird, Song Thrush,
Magpie, Jay, Wren, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon.
There was a noticeable absence of any of the
Finches.
At the end of a very pleasant morning we noted
that 16 different species had been seen or heard.
MICHAEL PARKER