Woodlark breeding in Matlock Forest

2017

In June 2017 I received  a message from Ken Smith to say he had had a Woodlark singing in Matlock Forest. We had often talked about the possibility of Woodlarks occurring as the habitat is similar to that where they can be found in Sherwood and Budby in neighbouring Nottinghamshire.

Unfortunately I was unable to follow-up on Ken's record as I was travelling in northern Finland and Norway. I didn't return until early July and it seemed unlikely that I would see the bird although Ken had occasional sightings in the intervening period.

Back at home I made regular visits to the area of Ken's sighting without success until 28th July when I had several sightings of a lone bird which, gave its distinctive melodic call occasionally. I saw the bird again before the end of the month. On 1st August Alan Stewardson rang me to say he had several sightings of two birds and had seen one of them carrying food. On the 5th August I saw both adults, accompanied by a recently fledged juvenile. They had nested successfully and raised one youngster!

One of the adults (top) with the first juvenile in 2017

There were several more sightings but the birds quickly disappeared. Would they return in 2018?

Woodlark are generally early migrants, returning to their breeding grounds by March, sometimes earlier so expectations were high the following Spring. 

2018

In 2018 March turned to April then May with no sight or sound of Woodlark. I was away from early June until mid-July but received news of Woodlark sightings in late June. When I returned I saw three birds on 21st July but wasn't sure whether it was an adult and 2 juveniles or 2 adults with a single juvenile but the matter was resolved on 26th July when I saw 4 birds, the breeding pair with 2 juveniles. 

A moulting adult Woodlark with one of the juveniles in 2018

Success again, but why such a late arrival. The only theory we could come up with was that the adults had bred somewhere else first and moved to Matlock Forest to raise a second brood. Again the adults and juveniles were only present for a few weeks before departing from the area.

2019

Again in 2019 we had high hopes of returning birds in the Spring but again nothing in March or April until Alan found a singing bird on 21st May, I was leaving on a birding holiday later that day but managed to see the singing male in the morning before I left. During my absence the male was seen and heard several times and was still present when I returned on 26th June although I didn't manage to see it and there was no evidence of breeding that year.

2020

A singing male was found in a new location in Matlock Forest on 30th May and I saw and heard it the following day and again on the 2nd, 7th and 9th June but there were no subsequent records in 2020 although I covered the whole area thoroughly and with no trips abroad to interrupt due to the Covid-19 outbreak and various lockdowns.

A lone male was recorded in 2020

Status in Derbyshire

According to 'The Birds of Derbyshire' the Woodlark bred in the County until the late 1800's. Details are provided of a nest in 1910 and since then of just 24 records up to 2011. The last record was a bird flying over Beeley Moor on 5th November 2011 which I missed, although I was close by when it flew over.

Since 2011 a pair has nested intermittently in NE Derbyshire with the only other breeding records those noted above in Matlock Forest.

According to the latest report (2018) of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) there were 22 singing males in Nottinghamshire and 2 in Derbyshire out of a total of 833 singing males for the whole of the UK. The UK population estimates have fluctuated somewhat in 2012 the Woodlark was removed from consideration of the RBBP when the population was estimated at 951 breeding pairs but reinstated in 2016 following indications that the population may be declining.

With just a single pair in the Matlock Forest area it seems unlikely that a viable population will be established especially when it appears the male was unable to attract a female in 2019 and 2020. However, there is plenty of suitable habitat at the moment and I'm hoping for more records in 2021.