Yarner Wood, late May 2026

At Yarner Wood, on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, Pied Fycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) are the quintessential stars of the spring. Arriving in mid-April after an incredible 3,000-mile migration from sub-Saharan Africa, these tiny, 13-gram summer visitors seek out the reserve's ancient, shady sessile oak woodlands.

The breeding males are strikingly dapper with their crisp black-and-white ("pied") plumage, prominent white wing patches, and a telltale white spot above the bill. The females are a more subtle, camouflaged olive-brown but share the same elegant, compact shape.  



Yarner Wood is a famous stronghold for the species due to a decades-long conservation project managed by Natural England, which features an extensive network of specialized nest boxes. Because mature trees with natural cavities have become scarce, the flycatchers have adapted beautifully to these ready-made boxes, making them exceptionally rewarding to spot.  You can usually find them perched on lower branches beneath the oak canopy, vibrating their wings before flitting out in mid-air to snatch flies or darting into the foliage to glean caterpillars and insects from the fresh spring leaves. Their rhythmic, melodic song and sharp "whit-whit" alarm calls provide a constant backing track to the woodland from April through July, before they head back south in early autumn.



Spotted Flycatchers and Common Redstart are also making good use of the nest boxes in the woods.




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