1 June 2025

 A later start for me on the 1st, however, this was to be a productive morning visiting a large forest clearing  near Hockham, Norfolk.  The habitat at the site visited is one of regeneration, a few years ago it was harvested of its Pine tree crop and has since been replanted with sapling Pines.  The habitat within the clearing is one of much Bramble and Birch scrub with isolated mature Birch trees within the clearing and as it stands at the current time this habitat should support the species seen today before the young Pines grow too large and those species seen will seek new suitable territories.  The growing Pine compartments will then see different bird species move in whilst those species requiring clearings to breed in will find new suitable sites within which to set up territories.  Pine compartments here in the Brecks are a rotational crop, therefore, the different stages of habitat growth will always be suitable for specialist species.

Forest clearing near Hockham Norfolk 1 June 2025. This site today held Blackcap, Garden Warblers, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, one Tree Pipit, and two Cuckoos.

The location visited today has for some years been the summer home for Nightjars and even though I visited in daylight hours I was hoping to find one of these enigmatic birds roosting on a tree branch, however, none seen on this visit.

Tree Pipit (male) in forest clearing.

Today was all about breeding successes and the first evidence of this was watching juvenile Blackcaps in a small Holly being fed by parent birds.  The clearing is currently well suited for Sylvia Warblers and this visit produced 4 Garden Warbler territories, at one site a pair of Garden Warblers were watched at woodland edge habitat with ground cover, one bird was seen leaving the site with a faecal sac (proof of breeding).  At least 4 singing Whitethroats located along with a single Willow Warbler.  One Tree Pipit was singing and performing it conspicuous song-flight over its territory, this bird often sang in the Holly just left of centre in the above picture.  Two Cuckoos were present, a calling male (unseen) and a female, which was seen moving between trees in the clearing and giving its distinctive bubbling call. 

The only raptor species seen on this visit was a beautiful hunting male Kestrel and two Buzzards.