Linacre and Barbrook Reservoir - 21st March 2026

 This morning, I was out with 3 other members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group for a session at Linacre. I'd heard Chiffchaffs singing for a couple of weeks, so was very keen to see if we could catch the first birds of the new season.

After 3 and half hours we had caught 13 birds (new/retrap): Chiffchaff 2/0, Coal Tit 0/2, Great Tit 0/1, Blue Tit 1/1, Dunnock 1/1, Robin 2/0, Blackbird 0/1 and Goldcrest 1/0. Whilst there, we also had 10 Greylag Geese fly over (highest ever count?), a flock of c15 Fieldfare over, a single Sparrowhawk, drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Treecreeper, 2 Stock Doves (singing) and  2 Nuthatches.

Afterwards, Jayne and I went for a walk up on Barbrook Reservoir. The hoped-for Wheatear didn't put in an appearance, but, in the 12 degrees warmth and sunshine, we did record: Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Kestrel, Raven, Lapwing ( 2 birds), Mallard, Tufted Duck (pair), Canada Geese (2) and a Year Tick, Reed Bunting (117).

Reed Bunting

In addition, we also saw a small group of 6 Red Deer and at least 6 pairs of Common Toads breeding in the pools.

Red Deer

Common Toad

Rufford - End of the Season

 Last weekend (14th) I had my last trip of the winter to Rufford. Unfortunately, there were only 2 Black-headed Gulls present (both 1st winter birds, born last year), and no ringed birds.

On a brighter side, however, I did add a new species to the park list, when a Red Kite flew low over the lake!

Other species seen were: 1 Herring Gull, 8 Mute Swans (Broken Beak and family, plus 3 other, unringed adults), 2 Goosander (1m and 1fm), Stock Dove singing, 7 Canada Geese and 10 Greylag Geese.

Greylag Goose

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.