West Midland Bird Club Stafford Branch 2017 Cannock Chase Bird Survey Species Report In memory of Frank Gribble MBE WEST MIDLAND BIRD CLUB STAFFORD BRANCH 2017 Cannock Chase - Survey Sectors Cannock Chase Bird Survey 1 Satnall Hills 9B Castle Ring In memory of Frank Gribble MBE 2A Haywood Warren 9C Brereton Hayes Wood - Chetwynd Coppice 2B Haywood Park 10A Fair Oak Lodge and Pools 3A Brocton Field 10B Takeroo Rationale 3B Katyn - Sherbrook Valley 11 Strawberry Hill - Bevin’s Birches The first WMBC Cannock Chase Bird Survey was undertaken in 1992 and has been carried out at five 4 Oldacre Valley 12 White House - Pepper Slade yearly intervals since then, making the 2017 survey the 6th conducted. 5 Badger Slade 14 Gentleshaw Common The aim of the Survey is to identify those bird species present and quantify their populations in 5A Spring Slade 15 Cuckoo Bank each sector surveyed. These outcomes will then be compared with previous surveys to identify any 6 Brindley Heath 16 Shoal Hill changes and trends. 6B Brindley Heath North 17 Teddesley Park and Hayes 7 Country Park 18 Newlands Wood (Not Surveyed) Funding for this year’s survey has come from the Sustainable Development Fund administered by 8 Stile Cop - Rawnsley Hills 19 Hednesford Hills the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (A.O.N.B) Unit and Stafford Borough Council 9A Beaudesert Old Park which was match funded by the Stafford Branch of the West Midland Bird Club. Contents Objectives The Survey results will Section One a. Target Species - Page 4-16 1. Identify changes in populations of the birds of Cannock Chase. b. WMBC 1992-2017 Target Species Summary - Page 16/17 Section Two Present only - Page 18/21 2. Inform the Cannock Chase AONB Unit; Staffordshire Wildlife Trust; Staffordshire County Council; Stafford Borough Council and other local Councils; The BTO; West Midland Bird Club; Natural Section Three Birds also seen - Page 22/24 England; The National Trust and the RSPB. Other stakeholders and local landholders, interest groups and the public will also be informed so that there is a wider understanding and knowledge Section Four Recommendations - Page 25 of the birds of Cannock Chase. Section Five References - 26 3. Be used to inform future sustainable land management to enhance ecosystems that support and Section Six Acknowledgements - Page 26/27 sustain birdlife. 4. Provide a basis for future surveys, including interim targeted species surveys. Methodology The survey area of Cannock Chase was divided into twenty-four sectors. Twenty-six competent volunteer birders were allocated a specific sector, or sectors, of the study area and asked to conduct a familiarisation visit and habitat survey of their specific sectors before the start of the survey. Photograph front cover Male Common Redstart RCB By February species such as Woodlark and Ravens have commenced breeding activities. This may also be true for certain resident birds that are on the target list, therefore, first visits were made from mid- February. During the months of March, April, May, June and July volunteers visited their sector twice each month, at two weekly intervals. At least two of those visits from mid-May were required to be Photograph this page after sun rise or at dawn to record crepuscular species. (e.g Nightjar). Specific survey arrangements Common Cuckoo MB were also made regarding Nightjar and Owls. Observations were made from pre-determined and agreed paths. Volunteers were asked to report six figure map references, evidence of breeding and habitat details of forty target species which are either scarce in Staffordshire or worthy of study as within the survey area they appear to be bucking national trends. A further twenty species of interest were noted as being present. Finally, a third list of birds which are common throughout the United Kingdom was compiled for completeness. All records were submitted to the Project Leader on spread sheets. Some additional records were also submitted by casual visitors to the Chase. 2 3 Introduction to Species Report found in 21 sectors. The maximum number seen together was 12 in March. Nesting birds were found Birds are listed in alphabetical order for ease of reference. in eight sectors in June. In 2007 their status was described as “several scattered pairs”. It appears that the population is at least stable and possibly increasing in line with the BBS results The figures after the birds’ names represent: a. the long-term percentage (%) change in the UK population from 1970-2014 (first figure) Common Crossbill a. (n.a.) b. 16% Frequent, though variable, irruptive visitor. Rare and erratic b. the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) conducted by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) trend breeding species. from 1995-2014 (second figure). At least four pairs bred successfully in 2017. Nest building was observed in three sectors and at In some cases the number of pairs are given where percentages (%) are not available (n.a.). four additional and different sites in February. On March 1st recently fledged birds were amongst *Where the names of the birds are preceded by an asterisk this denotes that those birds were late the groups of Crossbills roaming around the conifers. Family parties were found in the north of the additions to the Target species list. Survey area again in a further two sectors during May. Crossbills can be highly mobile, so it was hardly surprising that some records came in from another three sectors, thought not necessarily supporting Those species names that are in red are on the red list, which identifies them as species of greatest breeding birds. Crossbills may not breed every year on the Chase due to their irruptive behaviour, concern in UK and Ireland. Species whose names are in amber are of moderate concern. The but this is the first time that the WMBC Survey has been able to confirm breeding, even though it has remainder are on the Green list and are of least conservation concern. (Source, The State of Birds in been thought a probability in the past. the UK 2016. Common Cuckoo a. -54%, b. -43% Fairly common, but declining, summer visitor. Section One - Target Species Despite concerns regarding the long-term future of Cuckoos in parts of the UK the Chase remains a stronghold. There are parts of Staffordshire where residents will say that they have not heard a Barn Owl a. (n.a.) b. 227% Frequent but much declined, though now stable, resident. Cuckoo for many years. They should visit Cannock Chase! Cuckoos can be seen and heard from April Very scarce on the Chase but present in one sector in February. Another was in an adjacent sector in to mid-June. The first report was on April 9th in the Sherbrook Valley. By the month’s end calling June which suggested that there was a breeding pair, either within the Survey area or close by. A third males were distributed across 15 sectors. A further six sectors were added during May, and another sector in the west hosted a roosting pair in an oak tree but there was no proof of breeding. three in June. They could therefore be heard in every sector. A female was on the Hednesford Hills on May 8th. A hepatic female was also seen on Brindley Heath in April. By late May however, they were missing from sectors where they had been present for six or more weeks previously. Thereafter Barn Swallow a. 15%, b. 26% Very common, though declined, summer resident and passage they tended to be found in loose groups such as on Brindley Heath. This perhaps suggested that migrant. more than one male was being attracted to a recently found female. By the third week in June all Although they arrived in Staffordshire in late March they were not widely distributed around the adult Cuckoos had left. Numbers, due to high mobility, are always difficult to assess. Nevertheless, Chase until mid-April. They are attracted to human habitations with open access where nesting a maximum number would be the 45 counted in early June. By then Cuckoos were clearly grouping occurs. Some of the locations were Fair Oak Lodges, including one pair that nested in a garden shed; together. They were absent in 14 sectors. Only one juvenile Cuckoo was discovered. That was on Marquis Drive Visitor Centre and Rangers’ yard; West Cannock Farm; and various other equestrian establishments. They are however highly mobile and can be found almost anywhere on the Cuckoo Bank where the unfortunate parents were Reed Warblers. Chase especially as the breeding season advances. Seen in 18 sectors. Breeding Common Raven a. (n.a.) b. 45% Frequent visitor and uncommon to frequent, but increasing, took place in or near eight sectors at least. resident. Widely distributed across the Chase. Bred successfully in nine sectors and almost certainly in another three. The raucous cries of the juveniles *Black Redstart a 59% b -46% Scarce became a feature particularly from mid- summer resident, passage migrant and May. The largest gathering, 24 birds, was at a winter visitor. communal roost site in March. Sixteen were One was present on Cuckoo Bank on April also seen in an adjacent sector. These may 29th. have been part of the dispersing group from the original roost. Fourteen were again present *Bullfinch a. -40%, b. +9% Fairly there in May. There are few specific references common to common resident. in WMBC Annual Bird Reports for the Chase, During February Bullfinches seemed to be where they are now clearly well established surprisingly common and widespread. It as a breeding bird. Twenty years ago, Ravens was therefore belatedly decided to include in mid-Staffordshire were usually reported in them on the Target List as many in the single figures, but by 2003 they had returned Survey Team thought that their presence to this part of the County.