FINGLE WOODS BREEDING BIRD SURVEY - 2020 RESULTS TOM WILLIAMS
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FINGLE WOODS
BREEDING BIRD SURVEY
2020 RESULTS
TOM WILLIAMS
Contents 1 – Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 2 – Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 2 3 – Results by species.............................................................................................................................. 3 4 – Analysis............................................................................................................................................ 12 5 – Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 13 6 – Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Appendix 1 – Named areas referred to in this report ...................................................................... 15 Appendix 2 – Survey areas and Rivermead addition ........................................................................ 15 Appendix 3 – Removed ..................................................................................................................... 16 Appendix 4 – Survey dates and weather conditions ........................................................................ 16 Appendix 5 – Pied Flycatcher Nest-box Schemes ............................................................................. 17 Appendix 6 – Willow Tit Volunteer Survey ....................................................................................... 18 Appendix 7 – Survey Data ................................................................................................................. 19 References ............................................................................................................................................ 21 Cover photograph – Spotted Flycatcher ©Tom Williams 2020
1 – Introduction Fingle Woods covers an area of approximately 342 hectares on the north-eastern boundary of Dartmoor National Park. The site is composed of three smaller woodlands, Fingle Wood, Halls Cleave and Cod Wood, which are separated by minor roads. There is also an additional eight-hectare parcel of land known as “Rivermead”, purchased by the Woodland Trust in 2018. This is located adjacent to Fingle Wood and is a mix of open meadows and young broadleaf planting. Fingle and Cod Woods are positioned on the steep southern slopes of the River Teign gorge, while Halls Cleave surrounds a tributary stream in a narrow valley. The primary habitat is conifer plantation, either on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) or former agricultural land, although there are several areas of surviving semi-natural ancient woodland. Recent outbreaks of the larch pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, as well as felling around the Scheduled Ancient Monument at Wooston Hillfort, have led to the creation of several clear-felled areas. Fingle Woods was previously managed for commercial forestry and Pheasant shooting, however the site was purchased in 2014 by a Woodland Trust/National Trust partnership. Their long-term objective is a gradual restoration of the site to native broad-leaved woodland through a program of conifer thinning, allowing natural regeneration from the existing seedbank with supplemental planting where required. The Breeding Bird Survey has been carried out at Fingle since 2014. For the first four years the survey work and reporting was carried out by Rob Macklin. I was asked to take over the project at the start of 2018, and wherever possible have used an identical methodology to keep the results as consistent as possible. In spite of this any change in surveyor will no doubt lead to some variation in the results so caution should be used when making comparisons between pre- and post-2018 survey data. Page | 1
2 – Methodology In order to break the site into manageable survey areas the woods were divided into five sections – Fingle Wood West, Fingle Wood East, Halls Cleave Wood, Cod Wood and the more recently acquired Rivermead (see Appendix 2 for a map of these areas). Two sections were surveyed in a single day (Fingle East and West or Cod and Halls Cleave) and Rivermead was covered in a morning visit. Covering such large areas meant that survey work often extended into the middle part of the day when birds are less active so the order in which the sections were visited was alternated to ensure that each area received an equal number of early morning visits. An experienced surveyor made seven morning visits to each part of the woodland, with each visit starting no earlier than 30 minutes after sunrise. A visit was made in mid-March to increase the chances of locating early nesting species such as Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), with the remaining six visits conducted between late April and late June. Additional night-time visits were made in July and August to look for Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) and other nocturnal species. See Appendix 4 for dates and weather records. Survey methodology was based on the British Trust for Ornithology’s Common Bird Census (BTO CBC). Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) and Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) were excluded from the survey to maintain consistent methodology with the original surveyor. All other birds seen and/or heard were recorded on large-scale site maps, along with symbology denoting territorial or nesting behaviour. Following completion of the fieldwork the data was entered into QGIS mapping software v3.12 and analysed to generate locations of probable breeding territories, again using techniques developed for the BTO CBC, which require at least two observations of territorial behaviour at least ten days apart in order to register a territory. For the second year running, an additional piece of survey work was carried out to investigate the possible presence of Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) within the site. The methodology and results of this survey is detailed in Appendix 6. Page | 2
3 – Results by species – list in taxonomic order Small circles indicate individual sightings (with shading from blue to red indicating date of sighting, blue = mid-March and red = late June), red squares indicate the centre of probable breeding territories. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 1 (WCA Sched. 1) protected status and “Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds” (BoCC4) amber/red list conservation status indicated where relevant. Grey heron – Ardea cinerea A single bird was seen in flight over Seaman’s Borough on June 24th. Mandarin Duck – Aix galericulata A female was seen flying along the River Teign in Hore Wood on 15th May. Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos BoCC4 Amber List Species There were several sightings along the River Teign throughout the survey period, but no breeding territories were identified. Goosander – Mergus merganser – 1 recorded territory A female with young was seen on the River Teign in Butterdon Ball Wood on May 15th. Another brood was reported in Cod Wood by other observers. Sparrowhawk – Accipiter nisus No evidence of breeding but single birds were seen in flight over Rivermead on March 11th and Butterdon Ball Wood on April 20th. Common Buzzard – Buteo buteo – 4 recorded territories Regularly seen on the wing throughout the site. Activity suggesting breeding territories was observed in Hore Wood, Coleridge Wood and Cod Wood above Ross Meadow. An occupied nest was located in Hitchcombe Wood on May 15th. Woodcock – Scolopax rusticola BoCC4 Red List Species A single bird was flushed from cover in Rivermead on March 11th. Page | 3
Common Pheasant – Phasianus colchicus – Not surveyed As in previous years this species was excluded from the survey methodology but is now present only in low numbers, with just a handful seen or heard during the survey work. Herring Gull – Larus argentatus BoCC4 Red List Species Single birds or small groups were occasionally seen in flight over the site throughout the survey period. Stock Dove – Columba oenas BoCC4 Amber List Species Three records of singing birds, from Rivermead on May 2nd, Hitchcombe Wood on May 15th and Cod Wood on May 16th. Woodpigeon – Columba palumbus – Not surveyed As in previous years this species was excluded from the survey methodology but is widely distributed across the site. Cuckoo – Cuculus canorus BoCC4 Red List Species Two singing males were heard, one in Butterdon Ball Wood on May 15th and one near the Coleridge Wood/Mardon Down boundary on May 26th. Tawny Owl – Strix aluco – 5 recorded territories BoCC4 Amber List Species Two night surveys were carried out on July 1st and August 13th. Calling pairs or juveniles were located in Fingle and Cod Wood, but there were no records from Halls Cleave. European Nightjar – Caprimulgus europaeus BoCC4 Amber List Species Although the bird which held a territory in Coleridge Wood in 2019 could not be relocated this year, an interesting development was two birds calling from the area of wet woodland and scrub within Houndsmoor Wood on 1st July. Also on that date a single bird was heard calling from a failed conifer restocking just across the western boundary of Hore Wood. Several birds were also heard on the other side of the valley on Prestonbury Castle and Broadmoor Common. Page | 4
Swift – Apus apus BoCC4 Amber List Species Single birds were seen several times during the survey period over Rivermead, Wooston Hillfort and Coleridge Wood. Kingfisher – Alcedo atthis WCA Sched. 1 Species/BoCC4 Amber List Species As in 2019, there were no records of this species until late June, with birds seen along the River Teign in Cod Wood on June 15th and Houndsmoor Wood and Seaman’s Borough on June 24th. Great Spotted Woodpecker – Dendrocopos major – 7 recorded territories Commonly seen or heard throughout the site, with four territories confirmed in Fingle Wood, one in Halls Cleave and two in Cod Wood. Occupied nests were located in Hore Wood and Halls Cleave. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – Dryobates minor – 4 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species In addition to the three territories recorded in 2019, a new male was located along the boundary of Halls Cleave and the private woodland at Northridge. Casual reports were also received of birds at Wooston Hillfort and Coleridge Wood. Green Woodpecker – Picus viridis A significant increase in records this year, with six sightings from Fingle Wood, Rivermead and Cod Wood, however still no evidence of breeding territories. Swallow – Hirundo rustica A single bird was in flight over Cod Wood on June 15th. House Martin – Delichon urbicum BoCC4 Amber List Species Most records were from Rivermead, associated with birds nesting at Clifford Cottages. Individual birds were seen in flight over Coleridge Wood on May 4th and Cod Wood on June 15th. Page | 5
Meadow Pipit – Anthus pratensis BoCC4 Amber List Species A single bird was seen near the Coleridge Wood/Mardon Down boundary on 25th June. Tree Pipit – Anthus trivialis – 5 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species After a decline to three territories in 2019, numbers seem to have rebounded this year. Two territories were located around Wooston Hillfort and three in the larch clearfell in Coleridge Wood. Grey Wagtail – Motacilla cinerea – 9 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species A welcome increase in numbers for this species from six territories in 2019, including a new territory in the recently cleared area around the upper reaches of the Halls Cleave stream. White-throated Dipper – Cinclus cinclus – 4 recorded territories BoCC4 Amber List Species Two territories located along the River Teign in Fingle Wood, one in Rivermead and one in Cod Wood. Wren – Troglodytes troglodytes – 243 recorded territories Easily the most numerous breeder within Fingle Woods, widely distributed across the site and at home in all habitats. Dunnock – Prunella modularis – 18 recorded territories BoCC4 Amber List Species A great year for this species, up from 10 territories in 2019. Hot spots included Rivermead, the Coleridge Wood scrub and the new haul road in Halls Cleave. Robin – Erithacus rubecula – 182 recorded territories The second most numerous breeder within Fingle Woods (after Wren), widely distributed across the site and at home in all habitats. Page | 6
Common Redstart – Phoenicurus phoenicurus – 10 recorded territories BoCC4 Amber List Species An Oak specialist like the Pied Flycatcher and found in similar areas. The majority of the territories were associated with ancient semi-natural Oak woodland in Cod Wood, however one was located in the wet woodland of the Marsh Tit Plot in Houndsmoor Wood. Stonechat – Saxicola rubicola – 1 recorded territory A new breeding species for the site with a pair located in the scrub near the Coleridge Wood/Mardon Down boundary. Blackbird – Turdus merula – 68 recorded territories Widely distributed throughout the site, particularly in stands of Douglas Fir. Song Thrush – Turdus philomelos – 35 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species Distributed throughout the site, most often in stands of Douglas Fir. Mistle Thrush – Turdus viscivorus – 14 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species Found throughout the site, with the highest numbers in the area around Wooston Hillfort and in Cod Wood. Common Whitethroat – Sylvia communis – 2 recorded territories Another scrub and hedgerow species which is unsurprisingly scarce within the woods. Two territories were located in the scrub around the small parking area where Coleridge Wood meets Mardon Down. Garden Warbler – Sylvia borin – 6 recorded territories After a couple of years when the future of the species at Fingle looked rather bleak, 2020 has seen a welcome increase in numbers, with territories in Rivermead, the Coleridge Wood scrub, and around “Butterfly Valley” in Cod Wood. Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla – 168 recorded territories Another good year for this species, found in scrubby areas throughout the site, particularly along the tributary stream valleys and the upper extent of Coleridge Wood. Rivermead continues to be a stronghold, supporting 27 territories. Page | 7
Chiffchaff – Phylloscopus collybita – 84 recorded territories Predominantly associated with open and scrub areas throughout the site, although occasionally found in more open stands of Douglas Fir. 10 territories were located in Rivermead. Willow Warbler – Phylloscopus trochilus – 39 recorded territories BoCC4 Amber List Species A bird of scrubby woodland, reflected by its distribution in Fingle, with several territories around Wooston Hillfort and the rest largely divided between Coleridge Wood and Cod Wood. Goldcrest – Regulus regulus – 166 recorded territories Common across the site in both deciduous and coniferous woodland, and one of the only species to make use of some of the denser conifer stands. Spotted Flycatcher – Phoenicurus phoenicurus – 9 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species A brilliant year for this species, up from four territories in 2019, and with several additional sightings not related to recorded territories. One of our latest-arriving migrant breeders with all records dating from the last four surveys of the season. The territories were all associated with ancient semi- natural Oak woodland, although often in the edge habitat between broadleaf and conifer stands. Several additional birds were seen elsewhere in the site. Pied Flycatcher – Ficedula hypoleuca – 20 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species A species of mature Oak woodland, which is reflected in its distribution at Fingle. A small decline from the record 22 territories observed in 2019, but still good numbers, especially since poor weather at the end of the 2019 breeding season resulted in a low fledging success rate. Several of the recorded territories are associated with the two Pied Flycatcher nest box schemes within Fingle Woods – see Appendix 5 for a summary of results. Long-tailed Tit – Aegithalos caudatus – 11 recorded territories A sociable and highly mobile species, three territories were found in Fingle Wood, four in Halls Cleave and two in Cod Wood. Two groups were also found in Rivermead. Page | 8
Marsh Tit – Poecile palustris – 9 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species Similar numbers to 2019 but with some changes in distribution across the site. Most of the recorded territories were along the River Teign, with Rivermead being an important area. A new territory was located in Coleridge Wood. Coal Tit – Periparus ater – 99 recorded territories As a species at home in both coniferous and deciduous woodland, Coal Tits are numerous throughout the site. Blue Tit – Cyanistes caeruleus – 39 recorded territories An identical number of territories to in 2019, but a shift in recorded distribution with most of the records concentrated around the scrub areas of the site rather than the broadleaf woodland. This may be due to the late start to the survey season caused by COVID-19 – the species is an early nester and by mid-April much of the territorial activity has passed, meaning territories must be located by observing nesting signs or fledged young – much easier in more open areas. Great Tit – Parus major – 18 recorded territories 2020 seems to have been a good year for this species which has expanded its distribution across the survey area, although still largely confined to the site boundaries. Skylark – Alauda arvensis BoCC4 Red List Species Two records of birds singing on the wing, one over Hitchcombe Wood on May 1st and one over the Wooston Triangle on May 25th. Nuthatch – Sitta europaea – 12 recorded territories Mainly associated with stands of deciduous woodland, with eight territories were located in Fingle Wood, one in Coleridge Wood and three in Cod Wood. Treecreeper – Certhia familiaris – 6 recorded territories Another species which has expanded its range this year with new territories located in Halls Cleave and Cod Wood. Jay – Garrulus glandarius – 7 recorded territories Distributed throughout the woodland, with four territories in Fingle Wood, two in Halls Cleave and one in Cod Wood. Page | 9
Magpie – Pica pica A single bird was seen along the Coleridge Wood boundary on May 4th. Jackdaw – Corvus monedula A single bird was heard calling in Cod Wood on June 25th. Carrion Crow – Corvus corone – Not surveyed As in previous years this species was excluded from the survey methodology and was only occasionally seen. Raven – Corvus corax – 4 recorded territories Confirmed nests were present in Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) along the powerline wayleave at Clifford and in Willingstone Plantations, with additional pairs observed in Coleridge Wood and Cod Wood. Chaffinch – Fringilla coelebs – 41 recorded territories A species that has been slowly declining at Fingle since the BBS began in 2014, although with only one fewer territory this year than in 2019. Still fairly common throughout the site in edge habitat and some of the more open conifer stands. Siskin – Spinus spinus – 17 recorded territories Unsurprisingly this conifer specialist was a very numerous species across the site with 175 individual sightings, however this only translated into 17 breeding territories – this may be down to the fact that they nest high in the tops of dense conifer where breeding activity is hard to observe. Linnet – Linaria cannabina – 3 recorded territories BoCC4 Red List Species A farmland and heathland bird and therefore uncommon in Fingle, but as in previous years three pairs were found in the scrub where Coleridge Wood borders Mardon Down. There was also an increase in sightings of single birds or groups in other parts of the site, particularly around Wooston Hillfort. Lesser Redpoll – Acanthis cabaret BoCC4 Red List Species Mainly a winter visitor to Fingle, but a male bird was heard singing in Cod Wood on May 26th. Page | 10
Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra WCA Sched. 1 Species Commonly recorded in small groups across the site. Crossbill are often very early breeders, and combined with the nest locations high in the tops of conifers this makes them hard to survey. Unlike in 2019 when singing birds were heard several times along the Halls Cleave/Cod Wood boundary, very little territorial evidence was recorded this year. The species continues to be regularly recorded in Fingle Wood and Halls Cleave, although it was absent from Cod Wood this year, and is likely breeding outside the time period covered by this survey. Goldfinch – Carduelis carduelis No breeding territories recorded but this species was seen occasionally around the boundaries of the site. Bullfinch – Pyrrhula pyrrhula – 12 recorded territories BoCC4 Amber List Species An elusive species but regularly heard calling across the site. Yellowhammer – Emberiza citronella – 1 recorded territory BoCC4 Red List Species As in 2018/19 this species nested on Wooston Hillfort, although only a single territory was recorded this year. Page | 11
4 – Analysis A total of 5,122 records for 63 bird species were collected during the survey work. Following analysis, 1,386 territories were identified, associated with 39 species. Of these, 17 species are on the BoCC4 Red or Amber lists. For further data on individual species see Appendix 7. Although the March surveys were carried out on schedule, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the main survey period, with the first visit not taking place until April 20th. Although a full complement of visits was subsequently carried out, these were pushed slightly towards the latter part of the breeding season than in a normal year. This may have had a small effect on the numbers of recorded territories, with early breeders like Blue Tit being under-recorded while late arrivals such as Spotted Flycatcher will have benefited from more visits during their period of territorial activity. The weather throughout the 2020 breeding season was largely dry and warm, although some periods of wet and windy weather did develop in the latter part of June. These good conditions no doubt contributed towards positive trends for many of the site’s bird species, with 26 showing gains in the number of territories over the 2019 season. Although this may in part be down to the surveyor gaining more knowledge of the site with each subsequent year, it also seems likely that the ongoing woodland restoration work is having a positive effect on many species by increasing the amount of scrub on site and promoting the development of understorey within many of the conifer plantations. The benefits of this are particularly apparent amongst the warbler species generally associated with scrub habitat. One new species was added to the breeding list this year – Stonechat, with a pair establishing a territory in the developing scrub near the Mardon Down gateway. Four species which held territories in the woods during 2019 were not recorded as breeding in 2020 – Nightjar, Cuckoo, Mallard and Crossbill. Cuckoo are still active in the area, with singing males heard several times outside of the BBS visits. Crossbills are likely still breeding on site, but outside of the BBS survey period. Although no Nightjar territories were confirmed this year they were recorded for the first time in an area of scrub at the heart of the site. 10 species (Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Pied Flycatcher, Dipper, Chaffinch, Bullfinch and Yellowhammer) showed territorial declines from 2019. In most cases these declines were very minor, although Song Thrush territories declined by 19% from 43 to 35. There were no sightings of Wood Warbler, last recorded as breeding on the site in 2017, either during the survey or as casual records. 4 species remained at a stable number of territories and 22 showed an increase – perhaps the most notable of these being Garden Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher. The areas supporting the highest number of species continue to be the scrub areas (in particular Compartment 24a on the western side of Coleridge Wood which is excellent for warblers) and the stream corridors. Rivermead has also proved to be a hot-spot, especially for warbler species. The Oak woodland, whilst not supporting a particularly wide range of species, hosts specialists such as Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart. Page | 12
Figure 1: Heatmap of territory density across site (all species) The densest of the conifer plantations support few birds, especially towards their centres, with only Goldcrest and Coal Tit commonly being recorded. More mature plantations have undergone enough thinning to allow a shrub layer to develop and provide a much more diverse habitat. Of particular note in that regard is Compartment 19h in the northern part of Coleridge Wood, where there are Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs utilising the scrub growing beneath the thinned Norway Spruce, as well as Siskin and Crossbill high up in the conifer tops. 5 – Recommendations Management The bird species found in Fingle can be roughly broken down into five groups depending on their habitat requirements: Open ground specialists – birds which prefer recently cleared areas or very low scrub, often with scattered trees for perching, such as Nightjar and Tree Pipit. Scrub specialists – including many of the warbler species, Yellowhammer and Linnet. Conifer specialists – including Siskin, Crossbill and to a lesser extent birds such as Goldcrest and Mistle Thrush. Broadleaf specialists – flagship species for Fingle being Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Generalists – species such as Robin and Wren, common across the site in almost all habitats except the densest conifer plantations. Management of the site should ideally balance the needs of all of these groups whilst working towards the overall goal of restoring the majority of the site to native broadleaf woodland. The open ground specialists have benefited over the last few years from the clear-felling of certain areas, either for the removal of Larch infected with Phytophthora or the protection of the Scheduled Page | 13
Ancient Monument at Wooston Hillfort. With the majority of the Larch now removed from the site and the clear-felled areas beginning the process of regeneration towards broad-leaf woodland, the suitable habitat for these species will likely decrease. Controlling scrub encroachment in the Wooston Hillfort area will ensure this area remains available for the open ground specialists. For the scrub specialists, ongoing felling and thinning work will inevitably create new areas of scrub, as the felled areas are colonised by young trees and bushes, either planted or growing from the existing seedbank. At the same time existing areas of scrub will continue their succession towards woodland, and it would be worth considering whether management should be applied to some of these areas to maintain them in a scrub state, particularly along the stream corridors and in Compartment 24a. The conifer specialists will inevitably lose habitat as the restoration continues, although this is a longer term issue as the gradual regeneration process will ensure there is significant conifer cover on the site for many years to come. Possibly the species presenting the most immediate concern is Crossbill, which is predominantly associated with Scots Pine, Lodgepole Pine and Larch. With the first two of these tree species being relatively scarce within the site and the larch having been extensively logged due to Phytophthora infection the amount of ideal Crossbill habitat has decreased significantly. Assuming that the remaining areas of Japanese Larch may eventually need to be clear- felled for disease control it would be worth preserving the stands of Lodgepole and Scots Pine for as long as possible, and even considering including a certain amount of Scots Pine in native plantings to ensure continuity of coniferous habitat on the site. For broadleaf specialists there will no doubt be a long-term benefit from the restoration of the conifer plantations to native woodland species. In the shorter term, if any management is being undertaken within areas of oak woodland such as thinning or the creation of clearings, care should be taken to avoid felling any trees containing obvious holes or cavities which may be nesting sites for Pied Flycatchers or Redstarts. Page | 14
6 – Appendices Appendix 1 – Named areas referred to in this report Appendix 2 – Survey areas and Rivermead addition Page | 15
Appendix 3 – Removed Appendix 4 – Survey dates and weather conditions Date Area Start Time Sunrise/set Time Temp Cloud Wind Precipitation 11/03/2020 Rivermead 07:26 06:36 6°C Broken Cloud Strong Breeze Dry 16/03/2020 Halls Cleave/Cod Wood 07:15 06:25 2°C Clear Calm Dry 20/03/2020 Fingle Wood 07:13 06:16 4°C Broken Cloud Calm Dry 20/04/2020 Fingle Wood 06:40 06:09 7°C Clear Calm Dry 21/04/2020 Rivermead 06:43 06:07 8°C Scattered Cloud Calm Dry 22/04/2020 Halls Cleave/Cod Wood 06:42 06:05 7°C Clear Calm Dry 01/05/2020 Fingle Wood 06:25 05:48 6°C Broken Cloud Light Breeze Dry 02/05/2020 Rivermead 07:02 05:46 7°C Clear Calm Dry 04/05/2020 Halls Cleave/Cod Wood 06:21 05:43 10°C Overcast Calm Dry 12/05/2020 Rivermead 06:03 05:30 1°C Clear Calm Dry 15/05/2020 Fingle Wood 06:27 05:25 4°C Clear Calm Dry 16/05/2020 Halls Cleave/Cod Wood 06:25 05:24 6°C Overcast Light Breeze Dry 22/05/2020 Rivermead 06:20 05:16 13°C Broken Cloud Calm Dry 25/05/2020 Fingle Wood 06:30 05:13 5°C Clear Calm Dry 26/05/2020 Halls Cleave/Cod Wood 06:28 05:12 10°C Clear Calm Dry 08/06/2020 Fingle Wood 06:00 05:03 13°C Overcast Calm Dry 15/06/2020 Halls Cleave/Cod Wood 05:50 05:01 13°C Fog Calm Dry 16/06/2020 Rivermead 05:47 05:01 12°C Broken Cloud Calm Dry 24/06/2020 Fingle Wood 06:00 05:02 14°C Clear Calm Dry 25/06/2020 Halls Cleave/Cod Wood 05:50 05:03 15°C Clear Calm Dry 26/06/2020 Rivermead 06:16 05:03 11°C Scattered Cloud Calm Dry 01/07/2020 All sites (night visit) 21:30 21:30 18°C Broken Cloud Light Breeze Dry 13/08/2020 All sites (night visit) 20:37 20:37 23°C Scattered Cloud Light Breeze Dry Page | 16
Appendix 5 – Pied Flycatcher Nest-box Schemes Map showing approximate areas of Spotted Flycatcher nest-box schemes There are two Pied Flycatcher nest-box monitoring schemes in Fingle – one covering Clifford, Hitchcombe Wood and Seaman’s Borough, and one covering Willingstone and Butterdon Ball Wood. In the Clifford/Hitchcombe Wood/Seaman’s Borough scheme, 6 out of 35 boxes were occupied by Pied Flycatchers, with one nest being abandoned containing a single egg. 30 young were recorded, all of which are believed to have fledged successfully. At Willingstone/Butterdon Ball, 7 out of 46 boxes were occupied, including one with an abnormally large clutch of 11 eggs. One box was abandoned before laying was completed, with the remaining 6 boxes fledging 28 young between them. Many thanks to R. Payne and J. Mockett for providing the data on these schemes. Page | 17
Appendix 6 – Willow Tit Volunteer Survey
This was the second year a survey was carried out to investigate the possible presence of Willow Tit
(Poecile montanus) within the Fingle Woods site. Willow Tits have experienced a severe decline on a
national level and particularly in southern and south-western England, with numbers dropping by
94% between 1970 and 2012. 1
The methodology was based on that developed for the joint Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
(RSPB)/Rare Birds Breeding Panel (RBBP) 2019/2020 Willow Tit national survey. 2
The national survey methodology is tetrad-based, however for Fingle this was adapted to cover all
suitable habitat within the site. 76 survey points were selected, with the aim of having a survey point
within 100m of all potential Willow Tit habitat within the site.
Each of these points were visited by a volunteer between March 3rd and March 20th. At each point, a
two-minute MP3 recording of Willow Tit calls and song, supplied for the national survey, was played
using an Anker SoundCore Mini Bluetooth speaker at a volume level that was audible 100m away. A
further two minutes were spent listening for responses.
Follow up visits were planned for early April, however these had to be abandoned due to the COVID-
19 lockdown.
No responses to playback or other observations of Willow Tits were recorded, either during the
Willow Tit survey or the wider BBS work, suggesting they are no longer present within Fingle Woods.
The national survey ends in 2020 however, considering the incomplete survey work and the
presence of suitable habitat at Fingle, it may be worth repeating the project in 2021.
1
(Willow Tit - Back From The Brink, 2017)
2
(Willow Tit National Survey Methods 2019/20, 2019)
Page | 18Appendix 7 – Survey Data
Territory
Total Recorded Recorded Change
Records Territories Territories 2019 -
Species Scientific Name (2020) (2019) (2020) 2020
Mandarin Aix galericulata 1 0 0 N/A
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 10 1 0 -1
Goosander Mergus merganser 4 0 1 +1
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2 0 0 N/A
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 2 0 0 N/A
Buzzard Buteo buteo 18 4 4 0
Woodcock Scolopax rusticola 1 0 0 N/A
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 8 0 0 N/A
Stock Dove Columba oenas 3 0 0 N/A
Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 2 1 0 -1
Tawny Owl Strix aluco 7 5 5 0
Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus 1 1 0 -1
Swift Apus apus 4 0 0 N/A
Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 3 0 0 N/A
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dryobates minor 6 3 4 +1
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major 103 6 7 +1
Green Woodpecker Picus viridis 6 0 0 N/A
Jay Garrulus glandarius 20 7 7 0
Magpie Pica pica 1 0 0 N/A
Jackdaw Coloeus monedula 1 0 0 N/A
Raven Corvus corax 25 4 4 0
Coal Tit Periparus ater 424 115 99 -16
Marsh Tit Poecile palustris 29 10 9 -1
Willow Tit Poecile montanus 0 0 0 N/A
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus 272 39 39 0
Great Tit Parus major 56 7 18 +11
Skylark Alauda arvensis 2 0 0 N/A
Swallow Hirundo rustica 1 0 0 N/A
House Martin Delichon urbicum 4 0 0 N/A
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus 29 10 11 +1
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 132 30 39 +9
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita 282 72 84 +12
Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix 0 0 0 N/A
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 502 159 168 +9
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin 17 1 6 +5
Whitethroat Sylvia communis 7 3 2 -1
Goldcrest Regulus regulus 490 168 166 -2
Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 769 216 243 +27
Nuthatch Sitta europaea 55 6 12 +6
Page | 19Treecreeper Certhia familiaris 17 2 6 +4 Blackbird Turdus merula 337 61 68 +7 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 128 43 35 -8 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus 70 13 14 +1 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata 29 4 9 +5 Robin Erithacus rubecula 541 174 182 +8 Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca 68 22 20 -2 Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 32 9 10 +1 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola 2 0 1 +1 Dipper Cinclus cinclus 14 5 4 -1 Dunnock Prunella modularis 60 10 18 +8 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 54 6 9 +3 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis 1 0 0 N/A Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 17 3 5 +2 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 164 42 41 -1 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula 41 13 12 -1 Greenfinch Chloris chloris 0 0 0 N/A Linnet Linaria cannabina 17 2 3 +1 Lesser Redpoll Acanthis cabaret 1 0 0 N/A Crossbill Loxia curvirostra 23 1 0 -1 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 7 0 0 N/A Siskin Spinus spinus 176 11 17 +6 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella 5 2 1 -1 Page | 20
References
Willow Tit - Back From The Brink. (2017). Retrieved from Back From The Brink:
https://naturebftb.co.uk/the-projects/willow-tit/
Willow Tit National Survey Methods 2019/20. (2019). Retrieved from Rare Birds Breeding Panel:
http://www.rbbp.org.uk/downloads/Willow_Tit_national_survey_methods_2019.pdf
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