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February at 10 a.m. Twelve members and
friends turned out on a cool, overcast day to
tour the twenty-five acre ancient woodland
reserve.
Duck Wood and the area now known as Harold Hill
was originally compulsorily purchased in 1948
by the L.C.C. to build the new housing
estate. Duck Wood was then left as an area of
open space.
In 1987, Havering Borough Council concluded a
twenty—five year management agreement with the
London Wildlife Trust, who now manage the wood
as a nature reserve.
Colin Jupp, a local bird watcher who has
studied the birds of the area for twelve years,
was kind enough to lead the group on this
occasion.
About ten minutes and two hundred yards into
the wood, Colin picked up the first Hawfinches,
high in some tall Ash trees. Four or five
were seen. Most members of the party had long
range views of the birds on this occasion.
Several of us saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker
and a Treecreeper at this stage; Nuthatches
were also calling from the tree tops.
We then walked around to the eastern edge,
disturbing a flock of forty or fifty
Greenfinches and several Chaffinches on the
forest floor. Several members also caught a
glimpse of a Lesser Spatted Woodpecker.
We then wandered around to the area of small