I had spent the past week working abroad, which meant missing the previous Saturday’s birding trip. I returned on Friday, and when Kev asked if I was up for a day out on Saturday, I shared that I was keen. The weather wasn’t looking promising, but then again, it hadn’t been for a while. Over the past week, a lesser spotted woodpecker had been spotted at Acres Down, making it a tempting destination. Despite this species being something of a bogey bird for us at that site, we decided it was worth a try. We stopped for breakfast at our usual spot when visiting the south coast and continued on to arrive in the car park when some daylight would be assured - we didn't stop to look around and made straight to the favoured tree. The lesser spotted woodpecker is a notoriously elusive bird, and Acres Down is one of the more reliable locations in southern England to see one. However, sightings are often fleeting, and the bird's habit of staying high in the canopy makes it a challenge to spot. Early spring, especially February to April, is prime time for seeing them, as males drum to establish territory and attract mates.
When we arrived, three people were already in position and confirmed that the bird hadn’t been seen that morning. Undeterred, we settled in and waited, hoping for any sign. As time passed, our optimism began to wane - it seemed our luck for this bird at this site wasn’t about to change.
Bird activity was sparse, aside from an unusually high number of song thrushes. One had woven a nuthatch-like phrase into its song. The thrushes called persistently, foraging through the leaf litter, occasionally clashing over territory. When tensions flared, they burst into the air in a flurry of wings and feathers, their skirmishes ending as abruptly as they began.
A flock of 15–20 crossbills flew overhead, circled back, and settled in the canopy above. We moved to get a better view, but they didn’t stop - before I could take a photo, they were off again. About twenty minutes later, three more crossbills landed in the same spot, but once again, they left before I could even get them in focus.
We decided to follow the path, pausing to check for the tawny owl sometimes seen along this track, but had no luck. Scanning the treetops yielded only the usual species. Splitting up briefly, I explored some tracks where we'd previously encountered crossbills to try and get a photo but returned empty-handed.
Green woodpeckers called from the right, and we eventually spotted one as it flew up into a tree, then again as it joined another, the pair moving further along the treeline. It wouldn’t be our last sighting, as Kev made an incredible spot on our way back, picking out a distant bird perched on the back of a dead tree. As we reached the denser trees along the path, we spotted another marsh tit feeding through - it took me ages to get focus when the bird was in the clear for a record shot.
We stopped for 10-15 minutes to see whether we we'd be lucky and see the lesser-spotted woodpecker but now we were the only people there and there was nothing moving through. We decided to break away and see if we could add any other species to our year lists but checking out many of the spots we've encountered firecrests before, we found ourselves empty-handed. We did pull out a goldcrest but not the rarer cousin.
We dedicated some time to searching for firecrests but had little luck, making our way past the car park, up the slope, and along the valley’s ridge. Then, from within the trees, we caught the distinctive call. Following the sound, we carefully moved in, hoping for a view.
After a few minutes of searching, we finally spotted a pair of firecrest flitting through the holly on either side of the track — at last! They busily fed among the branches, putting on a display that made up for our earlier struggles.
As a woman on horseback trotted through the trees and along the track, we took it as our cue to move on and try our luck with woodlarks. It still felt a bit early in the year for them to be displaying over the scrub-covered slopes, but there was always the chance of a goshawk soaring above the treetops - it wouldn’t be the first time.
Kev spotted movement on the ground up the slope and, after scoping it, found a sizeable flock of meadow pipits. We carefully worked through them, hoping to pick out something different, but they repeatedly hopped along before vanishing into the scrub. After a while, we were confident there was nothing unusual among them and turned our attention back to the slope below. A buzzard drifted by at a great distance, making no attempt to resemble a goshawk, and nothing else stood out.
Eventually, we made our way back toward the car park. As we reached the rise out of the valley, two birds suddenly dropped over the brow and into the grass. A moment later, the reason became clear - some approaching walkers had flushed them, and they had sought cover. We watched as the walkers neared, and once again, the birds took flight. This time, we were ready and confirmed the ID; a pair of woodlarks. What luck!
Back at the car, we grabbed a coffee before heading down the road for one last attempt at spotting a nuthatch - this stretch of woodland was usually a reliable spot. Once again, we came up empty-handed, but we did encounter another firecrest. Unfortunately, this one was too mobile for me to get a decent photo.
With that, we called it a day, pulled sticks, and set off for home, stopping off for one last coffee along the way.
Year list: 112.
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