Pelsall Village Nature Trails Part2
Bird species:
114 species have been seen on Wood Common since 1987 by the author of this section, recording a maximum of forty-seven species on one visit.
Resident or regular visitors (though some are quite difficult to find):
Common buzzard, kestrel, sparrowhawk, tawny owl, little owl, barn owl (reported), mute swan, little grebe, mallard, teal, coot, moorhen, Canada goose, black-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull, grey heron, woodpigeon, collared dove, stock dove, carrion crow, rook, jackdaw, jay, magpie, house sparrow, tree sparrow (a tough search around Fishley Lane hedgerows), wren, robin, dunnock, blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, starling, chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, linnet, bullfinch, blue tit, great tit, long-tailed tit, coal tit, willow tit (difficult), goldcrest (a few among the conifer plantations), yellowhammer, reed bunting, pied wagtail, meadow pipit, skylark, pheasant, grey partridge (now quite rare), green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker.
Summer visitors:
Chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap, common whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, sedge warbler (these last six species breed here), grasshopper warbler (occasional), garden warbler (occasional), common tern (frequent along the canal), common swift, barn swallow, house martin.
Winter visitors:
Redwing, fieldfare, stonechat (infrequent), common snipe (previously bred), water rail (very infrequent), goosander (occasional in recent winters), shoveler, gadwall (infrequent), tufted duck, brambling (infrequent), redpoll, siskin (infrequent), long-eared owl (once had a winter-long roost of seven birds), short-eared owl (now very infrequent), great black-backed gull, herring gull.
Passage migrants:
Cuckoo (spring), sand martin (spring), spotted flycatcher (spring and autumn but infrequent), hobby (autumn), common redstart (autumn), whinchat (autumn), lapwing (spring and autumn).
Accidentals: Hen harrier (recorded once), peregrine falcon (infrequent), treecreeper (very infrequent), kingfisher (very infrequent), redshank (infrequent), curlew (infrequent).
Butterfly species [23]
These species vary in numbers from year to year: Small white; large white (very infrequent); green-veined white; small tortoiseshell; peacock; orange tip; speckled wood; small skipper, dingy skipper; red admiral; common blue; holly blue; meadow brown; wall brown; gatekeeper; small heath; comma; small copper; clouded yellow (several in 2006); brimstone; painted lady, ringlet; grayling (very infrequent apart from 2006).
Dragonfly species [17]
Red-eyed damselfly; azure damselfly; common blue damselfly; large red damselfly; blue-tailed damselfly; emerald damselfly; banded demoiselle (infrequent); four-spotted chaser; broad-bodied chaser; brown hawker; common hawker; emperor dragonfly; migrant hawker; common darter; ruddy darter (infrequent); black- tailed skimmer; southern hawker (infrequent).
Other fauna:
Water vole breeding on canal; common or smooth newt found locally; frogs and toads; red fox; red deer are increasingly common – herds in excess of thirty were seen in 2006; brown hare; rabbit; grey squirrel; red-eared terrapin (releases). Various species of bat are present in good numbers in the Nest Common area just to the south of the ‘Fingerpost’ public house and around Huddocks Moor ruined farm.
Flora
(Rough grassland to east of the Cannock Extension Canal has lain undisturbed for possibly 5,000 years and is rare Lowland Heath.): Common spotted orchid; northern marsh orchid; heath spotted orchid; marsh thistle; chicory; white clover; red clover; deadly nightshade; white campion; red campion; foxglove (purple); buttercup; iris sibirica; white dog-rose; pink-edged dog-rose; poppy; bird’s foot trefoil; great mullein; dark mullein; tufted vetch; knapweed; common centaury (pink); common melilot; honeysuckle. This list is far from complete.
Pelsall Nature Trails Part 3
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