Linacre nests at last and summer migrants

Today started with a walk around Linacre to check the tit boxes. After a complete blank back on the 13th I was hoping for something, anything, and thankfully I wasn't completely disappointed. No eggs or birds were found in the boxes, but at least there were 14 nests being built. They ranged from a few pieces of moss up to a nests lined with feathers, so hopefully there should be some eggs this year and some records for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

1 of the most advance nests

 

Also found in one of the boxes was a Brown Long-eared Bat. It was in the same box as previously (see here), and, as can be seen on the picture, there was small mite on it as well.

 

Brown Long-eared Bat

 

As well as checking the nest boxes I also walked all around the valley today and managed a couple of new species for the year; House Martin (6 over the middle reservoir) and Swift (1 over the middle reservoir). The Swift was my earliest ever record since recording began in 2006. 30ish Swallows were also present today, along with at least 3 singing Blackcaps, 4 singing Chiffchaffs and 7 singing Willow Warblers! An adult male Pied Wagtail was on the top reservoir. Another first for me was a record of Toad, with 4 dead on the boardwalk. They all looked as if they had been eaten, presumably by Carrion Crows?

Whilst walking around I met Jackie,one of the rangers and a volunteer, Antony, who told me they had recorded some Common Lizards around the top reservoir this year and Grass Snakes around Spire View, so there's 2 new species for my records. Something else for me to look for!!

One final report from Linacre as this bumblebee, which I think is a White-tailed Bumblebee, seen here feeding on a Willow.

White-tailed Bumblebee

After lunch I had a walk up to Barbrook Plantation with Jayne, where we spotted a nice male Wheatear and a stunning male Redstart. 2 more year ticks.

Dodgy photo!

 

Singing Redstart

 

Year List update:
115 – Red Grouse (1 last week on Burbage Moor)
116 – House Martin
117 – Swift
118 – Wheatear
119 - Redstart

Linacre update- ringing tick and nesting success.

Two visits to Linacre this weekend, one for ringing and nest recording, and one to catch up with the summer migrants. A mixed set of results.

First up the ringing and nest recording. A four hour session with the nets resulted in just 17 birds ringed, but this total did include our first ringed Linacre Chiffchaff of the year and a ringing tick for me; a Woodpigeon! A very interesting bird and my first "F" ring.

Woodpigeon

 

Between net rounds we managed a bit of birdwatching and recorded the first records of Mute Swan (1 flew over) and Pied Wagtail (flew over), for Linacre this year.Other birds of note included a Sparrowhawk overhead, 3 Jays, 2 Canada Geese, yaffling Green Woodpecker and drumming Great-spotted Woodpecker. We also recorded our first butterflies of the year, Small Tortoiseshell, 3 feeding on the Coltsfoot, which was out in profusion today, along with super Cowslip and Wood Anenome.

 

Cowslip

 

The last job of the morning was to check on the owl boxes and the Little Owls. We checked the two owl boxes above Spire View and found both contained Mandarin Duck eggs!! The first box contained 5 eggs and no bird, while the second box contained 9 or possibly10 eggs and a female Mandarin Duck.

 

Mandarin eggs

 

The second box, shown above, was full of down as well, whereas the eggs in the first box were laid simply on the sticks and leaves that were already in the box. Anyway, we'll fill in BTO nest record cards for both boxes and watch what happens. I'll let you know. We also checked the tree where we'd seen a couple of Little Owls and were very pleased to find one bird sitting tight. The hole is pretty small, so we couldn't see what the bird was sitting on, but we'll keep monitoring over the next few weeks and hopefully record a successful brreding attempt here as well.

 

I popped back to Linacre again this morning and walked around all three reservoirs recording the first Willow Warblers (4 singing), Sand Martins (6 over the top reservoir) and Blackcaps (4 singing) of the year. Nice!!! Just need the flycatchers, Swifts and House Martins to come back now.

Yellow and White Wagtails at Carsington

Every year at this time there is a passage of Yellow and White Wagtails at Carsington Water. I popped across there this afternoon/evening and at about 7pm,managed to catch up with a flock of 7 Yellow and 2 White Wagtails feeding on the grass by the Visitors' Centre.

The Yellow Wagtails are absolutely superb birds, as this photo from this afternoon, hopefully shows.

Yellow Wagtail

 

The White Wagtail is the European race of our own Pied Wagtail, but differs from this bird by having a grey back and much less black on the head. Here's a not-so-good, slightly out of focus photo of two birds from today.

 

White Wagtail

 

Unfortunately, this isn't a species in its own right, so I can't add it to the Year List proper, but I'll note it down and add it on to the full list at the end of the year. The Yellow Wagtail, however, can be added along with 3 other species I saw at Carsington today, namely:

 

111 – Willow Warbler (several singing)

112 – Little Ringed Plover (1 on Horseshoe Island)

113 – Yellow Wagtail

114 - Blackcap (one on Stones Island)

 

 

 

M'ipit and unidentified caterpillar

I had a walk up Burbage Moor this afternoon to try and see a Ring Ouzel or two. Unfortunately, when we (Jayne and I) arrived, it started to rain and the wind, which was already quite strong when we left home, got even stronger and nearly blew us over!

We drew a blank with the Ouzels, but we did manage to see and hear lots of Meadow Pipits (year tick), which weren't put off by the awful weather, and were singing and displaying beautifully. We also had a fly-by Raven, singing Wrens and this caterpillar that was moving around in the undergrowth. Any ideas anyone?

??????

 

Year List update:

110 - Meadow Pipit

Two Bramblings

Just a quick post to show you a picture of two Bramblings that came into the garden this afternoon. We normally get the odd one or two at this time of the garden, as birds make their way back north to breed, but this is my first record of two birds together. Super record for the BTO's Garden Birdwatch Scheme.

Bramblings

Empty nestboxes, WeBS Walk, summer migrants and a new bird!

This weekend's visit to Linacre was pretty busy with the first check of the nest boxes and the monthly WeBS Walk. Added to this, I also recorded another summer migrant and my first sighting of a species which has been recorded before, but never by me.

First up was the WeBS Walk. Things were pretty quiet out on the water with the following birds recorded: Mallard (21), Tufted Duck (13), Coot (10), Moorhen (7), Cormorant (3), Great-crested Grebe (3), Black-headed Gull (4), Mandarin Duck (2 males), Grey Wagtail (3), and Greylag Goose (2 flew east down the valley).

As well as the waterbirds there were 4 singing Chiffchaffs and the new summer migrant, a Swallow, that flew over the lower car park. The new bird for me was a Woodcock, that flew up from the woodland floor when I was checking the nestboxes. As I said, this species has been reported at Linacre before, but not by me, so it was very nice to record it. Hopefully it will be the first of many sightings. Another new bird for the year at Linacre was a Skylark that was singing in the fields by the top reservoir. Finally, the Little Owls were still in their favourite tree by the entrance.

The nest boxes were checked, but unfortunately, they were all completely empty. This is in contrast to this time last year, when several boxes already had nests and egss in them. See here for details. Next week perhaps?

Year List update:
109- Woodcock

Common Cranes

Last night, whilst surfing the web I came across some very interesting news that saw me driving down to The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's Slimbridge reserve today to see a pair of Common Cranes that are attempting to breed!

The birds in front of Martin Smith Hide

 

The WWT have been working with several other wildlife organisations as part of the Great Crane Project to breed and release Common Cranes back into south west England for several years now. 

The pair, that are nest building right in front of one of the centre's hides, were raised at Slimbridge and released in the Somerset Levels 3 years ago. They returned to Slimbridge during the winter with another 5 birds, which are also still present on site, and started to build a nest. Here are a few photos of the birds.

Male bird displaying

 

Close up!

 

As well as these amazing birds I also added a few other species to the year list, including a couple of summer migrants:

104 – Common Crane

105- Water Rail

106 –Sand Martin

107 – Swallow

108 - Pintail

 

One last picture today of a Little Egret that too was feeding right in front of one of the hides. Gorgeous bird!

 

Little Egret