Cannock Chase was on the agenda today, and a catch up with several of the special species which can be found there. My walk took me from the Punchbowl through the north end of the Sherbrook Valley. After a slow start with little more than a willow warbler for migrants a pair of tree pipits flushed up from grassland next to the path. Year tick!
Continuing along the path a cuckoo punched a hole in the silence. Fantastic to hear as ever. The BTO have been satellite tracking cuckoos for several years now and one of their tagged birds has made it to northern France ready for the crossing back to East Anglia. Its been amazing to see how these brilliant birds migrant in a circular route.
Find out more about the project here - http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking
Other migrants along my walk included a whitethroat singing from the heathland and 5 singing male redstarts along the valley. Star species of the day was a green hairstreak which flashed past. It was hoped for, but not expected given the previously sunny day had clouded over.
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