Wrench Green Autumn Birds

A late afternoon walk along the river side at Wrench Green near Hackness, produced a number of sizable tit flocks. The riparian corridor which bounds the River Derwent and flows towards Forge Valley often provides good inland bird watching conditions for a variety of woodland species. The river corridor is surrounded by a variety of woodland and scrub habitats and birds tend to filter down from these into the valley bottom in autumn.

It was good to see a large long-tailed tit flock containing good numbers of marsh tits (well into double figures). Willow tits were also heard but not seen, willow tits and marsh tits both breed in the surrounding woodland in relatively good numbers. However willow tits seem to have decreased in the area over the past 10 years or so and are less common than marsh tit. As well as tits the area often produces good numbers of finches. It is a very good bullfinch area, with single flocks containing 15 or more birds and the riverside alder often attract siskins and redpolls in good numbers too. In addition to these both dippers and kingfishers breed along the river and are regularly seen.
    


Long tailed Tit



Lesser Redpoll

Marsh Tit