Ed: Despite the Spotted Flycatcher’s 80% decline over the last three decades, it is good to learn that in both the east and west of Suffolk there continues to be breeding success.
Jonathan Lawley
Spotted Flycatchers at Forrold Meadow We live at Forward Green, formerly Forrold Green in a 500-year old cottage next to our five-acre un-drained, and as yet un-cut meadow. This meadow is managed as a private nature reserve (with the support and advice of Suffolk Wildlife Trust) and on which there is a high abundance of invertebrates as well as nesting habitat - which explains why the flycatchers breed successfully every year. For years we have been aware of these visiting Spotted Flycatchers nesting in the shrubbery that comes close to the house from several directions.
Some time ago we found that our visitors were nesting in the ivy on an old plum tree outside the kitchen window. For two years after that they were in the climbing rose against the wall a few yards from the kitchen door. The nest seemed rather exposed and we were terrified a visiting Grey Squirrel could predate it. The whole process was incredibly quick, only about four weeks from nest building to fledging.
Breeding in recent years In 2012 they chose another site, an abandoned Blackbird’s nest in another plum tree up against a wall and only a few feet from our conservatory. They returned to the same seemingly ideal site in 2013 and we were expecting them back there this year.
2014... For a week or two they flitted around the kitchen and the lawn at the back of the house and used the garden furniture on the back lawn beside the meadow to launch themselves in search of prey. However there was no sign of them in the old Blackbird’s nest, as we sat in the conservatory binoculars trained. Then one morning we spotted a hole formed in the thick mature ivy on a Bog Cypress tree from the conservatory. Now we watched the little head of the hen sitting on the eggs. Then we saw the comings and goings in total comfort and our close presence did not disturb the flycatchers, but might have deterred the wicked Grey Squirrel.
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