Welcome to my blog all about my birdwatching, wild bird ringing activities and moth recording at Linacre Reservoirs, Derbyshire; in Great Britain and abroad.
My latest visit to Rufford was on 2nd March, when I had an hour, and spotted 14 Black-headed Gulls, including new birds; 2V03 (ringed on 18th January, as a 5, born last year), 218F (ringed by me, as a 1st winter bird, on 12th October 2024) and J3018 ( a new Norwegian-ringed bird, that was ringed, as a free-flying juvenile, in Oslo, on 5th August 2024).
Last weekend (1st March) I was down at Linacre for a ringing session, and yesterday (8th March), I was back again for a walk around the reservoirs.
The ringing session was quiet, with just 13 birds ringed: Great Tit 4/2, Coal Tit 0/2, Dunnock 1/0 and Lesser Redpoll 4/0. The Redpoll (125) were the best birds of the morning, being both the first record for Linacre in 2025, and being a "Year Tick". The retrap Great Tits had been ringed in 2023 and 2024, and the 2 retrap Coal Tits had both been ringed in 2024.
Yesterday's visit, in 5 degrees, and glorious sunshine, brought out the first Chiffchaff (126) record of 2025, with 2 singing birds. Other birds singing were: Robin, Dunnock, Song Thrush (3), Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Nuthatch, Coal and Great Tit and Wren. Other species seen were: Canada Goose (a pair on the top reservoir), Greylag Goose (a pair flying along the valley), Mallard (40), Mandarin Duck (6, including birds searching for nesting sites in the woodlands), Moorhen (7), Coot (10), Grey Wagtail (3), Great-crested Grebe (5 birds; a pair each on the bottom and middle reservoirs, and a single, calling bird, on the top reservoir), Cormorant (1 breeding plumaged bird on the top reservoir, Pheasant, Jay and Great-spotted Woodpecker (drumming).
Whilst down in London this week (Wednesday to Friday) I managed to spot a few new darvic-ringed Black-headed Gulls.
The three birds, 2365, 2380 and 2V72, were all seen in St James' Park, and had all been ringed there. Details to follow.
I last updated the Year List at the end of January, and, since then, I've added 6 new species, including a "near lifer"!
First up, the easy ones: Peregrine Falcon (119) and Little Owl (120), both familiar birds, seen in Chesterfield and Holmesfield respectively.
The next two, Great Northern (121) and Red-throated Diver (122), were seen at Carsington Water on Monday 17th (along with a female Ring-necked Duck, my second of the year!) Next up, was the Ring-necked Parakeet (123), 10s of which were seen in and around London (Hampstead Heath and St James' Park).
The latest new bird of the year, a 1st winter, female Lesser Scaup (124, and the first Derbyshire record) was also seen at Carsington Water on Saturday 22nd (after dipping on 17th!!). This bird is my "near lifer", as I did, allegedly, see a 1st winter male at Chasewater, Staffordshire, in 1987 (the first British record), whilst on a bird trip with Derbyshire Ornithological Society. I can't really remember this bird at all (!), so I'm happy to say this was a "lifer" for me. Views weren't great, but I did manage to get a few "record shots".
Regular readers of this blog (!) may well remember a Black-headed Gull, EUM3, that was one of the first darviced birds I saw at Rufford CP, way back in November 2018. I saw this bird regularly up until January 2023, after which the bird disappeared, presumed dead.
Today, I was at Holmebrook Valley Country Park, in Chesterfield, when I spotted a white darvic-ringed Black-headed Gull, roosting on the ice. I managed to get a few photos, and saw that the ring was EUJ6. Checking the European Colour-ringing Website, I saw that this bird had been ringed in exactly the same spot as EUM3 (Zoetermeer in The Netherlands), on exactly the same date, 27th May 2017, also as a pullus, by the same ringer, Benny Middendorf!! I don't know what the chances of this happening are, but, I'm pretty sure they are very low.
Just as exciting, is that my sighting is the only the second since ringing. The only other sighting was on Shibdon Pond LNR, in Gateshead, on 7th September 2021.
Whilst there, I also spotted a metal-ringed Black-headed Gull, HA51792, which is a Lithuanian-ringed bird I saw there in November 2024. Unfortunately, I don't yet have the ringing details back.
I've just had a look at the blog, and realised that I haven't posted this month yet!! During this time, I've had a couple of visits to Rufford (both cold and rainy!), adding a few new Black-headed Gulls to the list.
The first visit, on 8th February, saw the following birds reported: 273A, 295A, 202C, 207C, 258C, 264C, 273C, 298C, 221F, 234F and 2V16 (my first sighting, about 2 hours after ringing!)
This morning, I had only my second visit of the year, to Linacre. It was still pretty quiet (as it has been all winter!), but I did add one species to the Year List: Grey Wagtail (117).
Other waterbirds seen were: Mallard (74), Tufted Duck (5), Mandarin Duck (20), Moorhen (just 1!!), Coot (1), Cormorant (3), Black-headed Gull (3) and a near breeding-plumaged Great Crested Grebe, on the middle reservoir.
In the woodlands, I heard Great Spotted Woodpecker, Stock Dove (singing), Nuthatch (calling), Common Buzzard (1 heard), Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Blackbird, Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tit.
Later in the day, whilst walking in New Whittington, I added Goldcrest (118) to the Year List.
