Rarity in town!

The RSPB's Luke Blanchard had a clear sighting of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in late July. This bird used to be a well known resident of the woods, but hasn't been seen for years beyond one suspected sighting, so it is very exciting to have a report from a good birder of a clear sighting. (He didn't have time to get a photo, so the ones here are David's from Herzogovinia!)

Rumour has it that the spread of Ash dieback has lead to a lot of standing dead wood which the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker likes, so they are being seen more often in the UK.

Whatever the reason, we are delighted to ba able to share the news. We also had a reliable report of a Willow Warbler heard in August.