Rare birds spotted at Lydford Gorge

Monday, 3 July 2017 

 
A RARE pair of RSPB red-listed pied flycatchers have been spotted by thrilled bird watchers making their home in specially made bird boxes near the bird hide at the National Trust’s Lydford Gorge.

Migrating from sub-Saharan Africa, usually in the Congo basin, the pied flycatchers move to the coast of West Africa in the spring, before returning to the UK. It’s believed the pair has adopted a nest at Lydford due to work done by National Trust rangers to manage the habitat for them.

The birds tend to like mature woodland, similar to that at Lydford Gorge. Trees at the gorge weren’t cut down during the war effort as it was too steep to get the wood out.

National Trust rangers, along with volunteers and schools including Lydford and Lamerton, have built specialised bird boxes with specific sized holes to attract the birds.

Pied flycatchers are red-listed by the RSPB. Working with Lydford Primary School pupils, rangers have been monitoring the bird boxes occupied by these and other species.



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