Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th February 2019

Thursday 7th February:
February is a pretty quite month on the Common and today's walk around the Lower Terrace and the  Lower Heath areas were pretty unproductive.  A rare high point during my amble came in the shape of  the 3 Common Buzzards that drifted over heading west.  Other than that there was little else of note to report. 

Common Buzzard (buteo buteo)

Saturday 9th February:
It was another quite walk around the Common today as I took in the Lower Poolands area and the Upper Terrace.  A single Meadow Pipit that flew over the former plantation area calling was a welcome year tick for the site but as with my previous visit there was little else of note.  That said Spring is around the corner and from March a number of the site's many invertebrates will be active, the walks will become a lot more interesting and I will be a much happier fella! 

Addendum:
One thing I have noted during my walks on Hartlebury Common during 2019 is the distinct lack of Green Woodpeckers.  They were once quite numerous on the Common but in 2018 I noticed my sightings of them getting less numerous, in fact I didn't see one at all in the later 5 months.  Why this decline, I have no idea.  Generally they don't move way from the site in the autumn/winter and the habitat is as good as it has always been for them if not a little better since areas have been grazed by the Longhorn Cattle.  They like to feed on the short grass lawns where access to their favoured food (Ants) is much easier (this is why you will often see them on the greens of golf courses).  Last summer I do recall a dog walker telling me that they had seen a dead one on the Common so perhaps this was the end of the final breeding pair their? All I can hope is that a new pair (or more) set up territory on the reserve.  I will keep you updated on this.

Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)