Woodlark

Jayne and I had a walk around Sherwood Forest and Budby South Common at the weekend. Although the weather wasn't great (grey and overcast), we did manage to see and hear a few birds, including two new species for the Year List: Green Woodpecker (113) and Woodlark (114).

We first walked through Sherwood Forest, spotting Blue and Great Tits, Woodpigeons, Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming), Green Woodpecker, Treecreeper and Chaffinch.

Once out on Budby South Forest/Common, we saw Buzzards, Jay, Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Yellowhammer, Linnet and Stonechat.

Stonechat (pair)

We'd all but given up on finding the Woodlark, and were setting off back to the Visitors' Centre, when suddenly one bird flew over and landed on the Common, about 20m away! Looking at it, we noticed there was another bird, feeding, giving us a total of 2! I managed a few distant shots. Here are a couple of heavily cropped photos.

Woodark

Two Gulls!

 Over the last couple of weekends I've managed to see a few more of our ringed Black-headed Gulls, at Rufford, and at King's Mill Reservoir.

Last weekend (1st), I had a visit to King's Mill Reservoir, in search of a Scaup (no luck!). Whilst there, I did, however, see Black-headed Gull 234H, a new one for me! It had been ringed, at Center Parcs, as a 3 (born in 2025), in December 2025. This was the first record since ringing.

234H (age 5, born in 2025)

Afterwards, I drove across to Rufford, and spotted 298C, 209H and 225H.

209H

 

Yesterday, I was back at King's Mill Reservoir (still no Scaup!!). This time, I spotted 270C. This was my 7th sighting this winter, but my first away from Rufford. Here's a photo showing a new full, brown hood.

270C

Common Scoter!

 I've only managed 3 visits to Linacre this year (!), so I was very keen to get down this morning. Honestly, I was hoping for some Whooper Swans, as March is usually the best month to get them here, as they drop in, on their journey back north. I didn't get them, but, I did get my first Chiffchaffs, 2 singing and at least 1 seen in the willows by the top reservoir, (111) of the year, and a drake Common Scoter (112) on the top reservoir, my first sighting here since 2017!

Common Scoter

The Scoter was obviously the highlight of today's visit, but I did also have a lot of singing species, and other early signs of breeding from the resident birds. Singing birds were: Song Thrush (3), Blackbird, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Great-spotted Woodpecker (3 drumming), Skylark (1st of the year) and Nuthatch. Other birds seen were: Blue, Coal and Long-tailed Tit, Siskin, Pheasant, Carrion Crow, Raven (1 heard) and Jackdaw. 

Waterbirds seen were: Mallard (55), Tufted Duck (55), Coot (5), Moorhen (7), Grey Wagtail (1 heard), Canada Goose (2), Great-crested Grebe (5 birds: a pair each on the top and middle reservoirs, a and a single bird on the bottom reservoir, Little Grebe (1 on the bottom reservoir), Cormorant (2) and Mandarin Duck (52, the highest count for quite some time, including many birds paired up, flying around the woods and courting the females!.

Mandarin pair

Mandarin Duck

Other birds added to the Year List are: Woodcock (109) - 1 flew over our heads whilst ringing at Linacre on 1st March (!) and Yellowhammer (110) - a single male seen in Apperknowle on 3rd March.