Pied Flycatcher

My highlight this weekend has to be the Pied Flycatcher at Croft Hill. I had been over to Brascote early morning and just before I set off back home I checked my phone and noticed I'd missed a message from Adey Baker. I hadn't realised he was back from his holiday, so I texted him to say I had gone to Brascote. Shortly after he texted back saying he was on Croft Hill and he'd had a brief view of what looked like a Pied Flycatcher. Soon he messaged me again and this time he said he'd got a photo and it was a Pied Flycatcher.

My plans for the morning had altered and I headed to Croft. It took us quite a while to relocate it, but the time was well spent as we also found a family of Spotted Flycatchers.

'Female Type' Pied Flycatcher Croft Hill

Juvenile Spotted Flycatcher, Croft Hill

Croft Hill is one of the best sites to find Pied Flycatchers in Leicestershire. Pied Flickers are scarce migrants in the county. Below are the most recent records from the site:

2004: a male on April 24th (CDB, ABa). 

2008: a male on April 18th (DT), plus two females/immatures during September: one from 8th to 10th (NWH et al) and another on the 27th (ABa, CDB).

2012: a female/immature on September 2nd (ABa).

2015: single females/immatures on August 7th (CDB, ABa, RBa) and August 16th (CDB, ABa).

2016: a single female/immature on August 21st (CDB, ABa, DT).

2017: a single female/immature on July 30th (ABa, CDB)