Linacre WeBs - January 2018

Luke and I were down at Linacre this morning to carry out the first BTO WeBS walk of 2018. We walked around all 3 reservoirs and recorded the following waterbirds: Mallard 55, Tufted Duck 24, Mandarin Duck 25, Moorhen 11, Coot 3, Great-crested Grebe 1, in full breeding plumage, Black-headed Gull 28, Cormorant 4 and Grey Wagtail 2.

Other birds seen and heard this morning were: Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tit, Treecreeper (2), Great-spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush (2), Common Buzzard ( 1 being mobbed by a Crow) and Robin. Here's a photo Luke took of one of the very confiding birds.

Robin

Grey Wagtail was an addition to the "year list", as was Lesser Redpoll, which was 1 of 4 seen on the feeders at home.

Lesser Redpoll

Year List update:
70 - Grey Wagtail
71 - Lesser Redpoll

Year List Update - 21st January 2018

It's been a while since I updated the Year List, and it's moved on quite a bit, so here goes. Numbers 47 to 50 were seen at Derbyshire Wildlife's Avenue Washlands reserve during a ringing session. Numbers 52 to 55 were seen during a walk around The Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Numbers 56 and 57 were recorded in my garden, whilst numbers 58 to 67 were seen last weekend at Carsington Water. The Goldcrest was seen yesterday during the ringing session at Linacre, and the Tawny Owl was heard in the early hours of this morning from my bed!!

47 – Little Owl

48 – Reed Bunting
49 – Yellowhammer
50 – Mistle Thrush
51 – Kingfisher
52 – Pochard
53 – Shoveler
54 – Canada Goose
55 – Teal
56 – Sparrowhawk
57 – Siskin
58 – Gadwall
59 – Wigeon
60 – Common Gull
61 – Great Northern Diver
62 - Pheasant
63 - Willow Tit
64 – Lapwing
65 – Snipe
66 – Fieldfare
67 – Treecreeper
68 - Goldcrest
69 – Tawny Owl

Linacre Ringing - 20th January 2018

I was down at Linacre this morning for the first ringing session of 2018, with 4 other members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group.

We arrived at 08:00 and managed to get 3 hours in before it began to rain. Over the 3 hours we managed to ring 53 birds of 8 species (new/retrap): Great-spotted Woodpecker 1/0, Robin 4/1, Goldcrest 0/1, Coal Tit 2/1, Blue Tit 18/15, Great Tit 6/2, Nuthatch 1/0 and Chaffinch 1/0.

As you can see, Blue Tit was by far the commonest species, as is usually the case. The woodpecker was a very nice bird, as were the Chaffinch and the Nuthatch. A great start to the year.

Very few other birds were seen, but 3 Siskins that flew over were the first record of the year.

Linacre - 1st January 2018

Last Monday I had my first walk of 2018 around Linacre Reservoirs. I was on site for one and a half hours and recorded 25 species, including my first Goosander (1 male bird on the middle reservoir) since March 2017, my first Linacre Raven ( a singe bird "cronking" loudly from the top of a tree by the top reservoir) since 2016 and an excellent count of 7 Cormorants, all roosting in the trees by the bottom reservoir.

Raven

Other waterbirds seen were: Mallard (57), Tufted Duck (20), Mandarin Duck (22), Moorhen (13), Coot (2), Little Grebe (2), Great-crested Grebe (1) and Black-headed Gull (35).

Year List 2018

Last Monday I was out for my first birding trip of 2018. I just had a few hours around home and managed to see 45 species..

I started the morning at St Helen's Church in Darley Dale where a group of approximately 20 25 Hawfinches had been reported. I managed to pick up about 15 feeding in the Yew trees- a great start to a new year! Numbers 1 - 26 were seen driving then and back.

Hawfinch

Afterwards I drove on to Holmebrook Valley Park and Linacre, where I had a walk around all 3 reservoirs, adding numbers 27 - 44. House Sparrow was added at home, and Peregrine Falcon was seen today flying over Dronfield.

Year List:
1 – Blackbird
2 – Carrion Crow
3 – Dunnock
4 – Feral Pigeon
5 – Magpie
6 – Woodpigeon
7 – Jackdaw
8 – Rook
9 – Collared Dove
10 – Kestrel
11 – Greenfinch
12 – Jay
13 – Blue Tit
14 – Herring Gull
15 – Black-headed Gull
16 – Wren
17 – Nuthatch
18 – Pied Wagtail
19 – Hawfinch
20 – Goldfinch
21 – Chaffinch
22 – Coal Tit
23 – Robin
24 – Common Buzzard

25 – Redwing

26 – Lesser Black-backed Gull
27 – Starling
28 – Great Tit
29 – Mute Swan
30 – Mallard
31 – Coot
32 – Moorhen
33 – Greylag Goose
34 – Grey Heron
35 – Bullfinch
36 – Long-tailed Tit
37 – Tufted Duck
38 – Cormorant
39 – Little Grebe
40 – Goosander
41 – Great-spotted Woodpecker
42 – Mandarin Duck
43 – Great-crested Grebe
44 – Raven
45 – House Sparrow

46 – Peregrine Falcon