A morning in May spent on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire is always a delight. With patience and a wee bit of local knowledge, a number of good summer migrants can be found. This morning we were fortunate to find two Woodlark. The Woodlark is relatively silent now as they are feeding young, so we were very luck to find them at all. Plenty of Redstart, Common Whitethroat, at least 5 singing Cuckoo and several Tree Pipit were scattered across the heathland and Silver Birch woodland and we found three singing Wood Warbler and a singing male Pied Flycatcher. The Wood Warbler, (the old country names – Wood Wren, Linty White, Green Wren all describe it quiet accurately) is becoming a very scarce bird. Each year they seem to be getting progressively more difficult to find, especially in my own county of Derbyshire and Cannock Chase is one spot where they are relatively annual and almost guaranteed each year. How long this will last is anyone's guess. Thery are such stunning little "leaf warblers" and are usally located by either, their piercing "pee, pee, pee" call or their far carrying and sustained trilling song, that seems to penetrate the oak & beech woodland. The year list moves on to 174.
The "Linty White" – Wood Warbler Cannock Chase, Staffordshire – Tony Davison©
