Early in Sherwood

Whilst I always struggle to get up early, being in Sherwood Forest NNR shortly after dawn is a great experience. My main goal was to map Redstart territories, as in previous years, and I managed to find 6 in the north-western sector of the site, with three singing simultaneously at the southern end of 'Redstart Alley'. Another visit (or two) is in order to try and find more - comparing notes with Carl C has already indicated that there a few territories out there I missed this morning (and vice versa).

'Redstart Alley'

Other good birds included two Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, a distant singing Woodlark, a few Tree Pipits, lots of Lesser Redpolls buzzing around overhead, several fly-over Crossbills, and more unexpectedly, Mandarin Ducks in two locations, and evidently looking for nest sites in the old trees. Their ducklings will have a long trek to the nearest waterbody when they hatch!

Male Mandarin