Year List Update - 15th March 2026

This week, I've managed to add a few new species to this year's "Year List", bringing the total so far to 116 birds.

The first new bird was added on Tuesday, when I had a quick post-work drive across to Catcliffe Flash, in Sheffield for a 1st winter Scaup (115). The bird was easily found (despite looking into the sun!) and I managed some good 'scope views and a  few, distant, heavily-cropped photos.

Scaup (and Tufted Duck)

Spot the Scaup!

The next species was Lesser Redpoll (116), that I saw in the garden. Numbers increased over the week, so that today, 15th, there were 10 birds, on and around, the feeders.

After yesterday's visit to Linacre, Jayne and I went for a walk around Chatsworth Park. We didn't add anything new to the Year List, but we did see our first Derbyshire Oystercatcher of the year, down on the river.

Oystercatcher

Linacre Update - 15th March 2026

The weather yesterday was lovely, with bright, sunny skies and little wind, so I went down to Linacre for a couple of hours, walking around the reservoirs. Highlights were seven "year ticks" for the site, and lots of breeding activity.

Waterbirds seen were: Mandarin (26), Mallard (30), Tufted Duck (55), Canada Goose (2), Greylag Goose (1 - the first year tick), Lesser Black-backed Gulls (3 adults - the second year tick), Little Grebe (1 breeding plumaged bird on the bottom reservoir), Great-crested Grebe (4 birds, a pair on the bottom reservoir and a pair on the middle reservoir, displaying to each other), Coot (8 birds, including a pair fighting), Moorhen (4) and Grey Wagtail (3 birds, including a singing bird, and a pair).

Whilst walking around, I tried very hard to locate a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ( no luck!), but I did hear at least 3 drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 singing Chiffchaffs, Stock Dove (heard singing - third year tick), Mistle Thrush (1 singing bird - fourth year tick), Treecreeper (1- fifth year tick), Sparrowhawk (1 male bird). On the drive out, I stopped at the "muck heap" by the main entrance and saw 2 Pied Wagtails (sixth year tick), and 3 Meadow Pipits (seventh year tick).

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.

Year List Update

 In the last two weeks, I've added a couple of new species to this year's Year List.

The first new species, Stock Dove (108) was added last week at The Avenue Washlands. The next species, Alexandrine Parakeet, was seen today in Graves Park, Sheffield. Obviously, this species is still not on the British List, so it won't count towards this year's total, but it's still nice to see!

Alexandrine Parakeet

Also seen here were: Mistle Thrush, Great-spotted Woodpecker , Woodpigeon, Stock Dove and, of course, the Ring-necked Parakeets.

Ring-necked Parakeet

Wild Goose Chase!

 Jayne and I drove across to RSPB Frampton Marsh on the search for a few year ticks. As the title of this post implies, it didn't quite go to plan!

We arrived at Frampton hoping to see both Russian/European White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons albifrons) and Tundra Bean Goose. We got lucky with the White-fronted Geese (104), but, despite 3 attempts throughout the day, we couldn't find the (3 or 4) Bean Geese in amongst the 200+ Pink-footed Geese.

Russian White-fronted Geese (pink beak)

Pink-footed Geese

Other birds seen were: Mute Swan, Canada and Greylag Geese, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail (105), Goldeneye (106), Lapwing, Golden Plover, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit (107), Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon.

Earlier in the week (18th), I also added Whooper Swan (103), to the Year List, when 4 flew over our house, an amazing "garden tick" as well!!! The following day (19th), we also added Red Kite to the garden list!!