Linacre Ringing and Nest Recording

 This weekend I've had two visits to Linacre, once for the first ringing session there since September 2020, and once for the first nest box check of the year (not including the owl boxes - see here).

The ringing session, with 4 members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group, and one of the Linacre volunteer rangers, took place yesterday, from 06.15 - 09.30. In total we ringed 21 birds of 9 species. Totals were (new/retrap): Blue Tit 3/2, Great Tit 4/1, Coal Tit 2/0, Robin 3/0, Chiffchaff 1/0, Blackcap 0/1, Dunnock 1/1, Chaffinch 1/0 and Goldcrest 1/0. All the retraps were Linacre-ringed birds. The 2 Blue Tits had been ringed in June 2019 and March 2020 (just before lockdown). The Great Tit was ringed in July 2018, the Dunnock in December 2018, but, best of all, was the male Blackcap, originally ringed as an adult, in July 2016! I also found out yesterday, that a Blue Tit we originally ringed at Linacre on 16th July 2016 had been found dead (killed by a cat), 7km away, on 28th April 2020. This is the longest recovery (distance) we've had, so far.

This morning's visit was to check the nest boxes. In total there were 30 boxes in use, ranging from N1 (a nest just being started) through to sitting birds. All the boxes appeared to be tit nests, except for one Wren nest. The highlight, however, of the morning was the discovery of the year's first singing Pied Flycatcher. It was in the vicinity of a nest box, so I'm keeping everything crossed for another successful breeding season (1 successful box last year, fledged 7 young). It's still quite early in the season too, so hopefully, there could be some more birds to arrive. A female Mallard was also disturbed from a nest, 1m away from a nest box, revealing a nest with 6 eggs. As always, the results of the nests will be recorded for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme. 

Mallard nest

Whilst on site this morning, I also recorded Green Woodpecker (heard), a Mallard with 13 ducklings (the first 2021 record), Willow Warbler (1 heard by the top reservoir), Reed Bunting (one male heard singing in willows by the boardwalk), Skylark (1 singing over fields by the top reservoir), Curlew (1 heard, but not seen, from the top reservoir - my first record here since 2018) and Canada Goose (6 - my highest count of the year). The Moorhen nest on the top reservoir was empty, but no young were seen.

Bempton and Scarborough - 13th April 2021

 With a relaxation of lockdown rules allowing travel further afield, Jayne and I decided to have a day trip to the coast, visiting RSPB Bempton Cliffs and Scarborough. The weather was great, with bright sunshine, no wind and 12 degrees.

First stop was Bempton Cliffs, where we spent a couple of hours walking along the cliffs, recording the following species: Gannet, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Herring Gull, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Linnet, Pied Wagtail and Tree Sparrow.

Gannet

After Bempton, we drove up to Scarborough where we had a walk along the South Beach up to the harbour area. Herring Gulls were everywhere, and the first new species was an adult Great Black-backed Gull. Other species seen here were: Redshank, Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper (one on the breakwaters), Rock Pipit and, best of all, a Great Northern Diver. 

Great Northern Diver

Year List update:

93 - Tree Sparrow

94 - Gannet

95 - Kittiwake

96 - Fulmar

97 - Puffin

98 - Razorbill

99 - Guillemot

100 - Great Black-backed Gull

101 - Turnstone

102 - Great Northern Diver

103 - Rock Pipit

104 - Purple Sandpiper

105 - Red Kite (seen on the way home, near Leeds)

Sunshine and (Snow) Showers

Today was this month's WeBS walk at Linacre. I had a wander round and recorded the following birds: Mallard (45), Mandarin (24), Coot (5), Moorhen (8), Great-crested Grebe (2), Tufted Duck (69),  Canada Goose (1), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2 adults), Goosander (1 female), Pied Wagtail (1) and Grey Wagtail (5). The Grey Wagtails were singing and displaying, and I managed to get this interesting photo.

Grey Wagtails

In addition to these species there were also c.30 Swallows, 2 House Martins and 1 Sand Martin (feeding together over the top reservoir in a snow/hail shower!!) and 4 Buzzards. The best birds, however, were 3 Reed Buntings (2 males and 1 female) that I found feeding in and around the willows by the boardwalk on the top reservoir. This is only my third record of this species at Linacre (1 male ringed in 2013 and 1 male singing in the ringing site in 2019), so you can imagine how pleased I was to see them! Unfortunately, they didn't want their photos taking, and this awful picture, is the best I got!!

Reed Bunting (male)

The last bird of note was seen on Friday 9th, and was the first Common Sandpiper of the year. I usually only get 1 sighting of this species each year, as they pass through to their breeding grounds, so I was very pleased to catch up with this bird. It fed on the wall of the middle dam, and again, this is my best photo.

Common Sandpiper

Linacre Nestboxes - 7th April 2021

 Yesterday I went down to Linacre to meet up with some of the regular Severn Trent volunteers (thanks everyone, it was great to meet you all). One of the volunteers shared photos of  2 caterpillars that had been found on site. One was a Pale Tussock and the other was an Elephant Hawk-moth. Both species were new records for the site.

Pale Tussock

Elephant Hawkmoth

Whilst there, we had a first check in the "owl boxes", and found that 3 of the 5 were in use, albeit not by owls!! As usual, the 3 boxes all contained Mandarin Duck eggs, including 1 with at least 38(!) eggs in it - a classic example of "egg dumping" by several different females. The other 2 contained just 3 and 4 eggs. None of the broods were being incubated yet. Several pairs of Blue Tits were seen entering nestboxes, so it seems that the the breeding season is beginning in earnest. 

Mandarin nest with 38 eggs

After the nestboxes, I had a quick walk around the middle and top reservoirs, and spotted my first Swallows (6), House Martins (2) and Sand Martins (2) of 2021.

Other species seen were: Kestrel (1 male hunting below the top reservoir - my first Linacre record of 2021), Raven (2 over the bottom reservoir), Grey Heron (1, my first Linacre record of 2021) and Sparrowhawk (1 female). 

Linacre Lifer - Orange Underwing!!

 The weather was a very pleasant 15 degrees and sunny on Easter Sunday afternoon, so I decided to go down to Linacre for a couple of hours to see if there were any butterflies flying about.

I started off by walking down from the car park along the edge of the farmer's field where I spotted my first Linacre butterflies of the year: 2 Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock. Whilst walking, a small day-flying moth literally dropped down onto the path in front of me. I grabbed a few photos, and realised that it was an Orange Underwing, a lifer and a new record for Linacre!! Here's a link to this new moth species.

Orange Underwing

Whilst on site I also managed to see many Dark-edged Bee Flies (c.10 - 15), along with  a Tawny Mining Bee (1 female), 1 Common Carder Bee, 1 Garden Bumblebee, Clarkson's Mining Bees and an Early Mining Bee.

Blackcaps and Willow Warblers are back!

On Saturday I went down to Linacre to check for spring migrants. The Chiffchaffs were in very good voice, and had increased to 10 singing birds. In addition, two new species had arrived, with 4 singing Blackcaps and 2 Willow Warblers present.

Other species seen or heard around the site were: Tufted Duck (61), Mallard (48), Canada Goose (3), Mandarin Duck (10), Coot (10, including 1 on a nest), Moorhen (10, including 1 on a nest), Grey Wagtail (4), Great-crested Grebe (2), Lesser Black-backed Gull (3 adult-type birds), Buzzard (2), Siskin (heard), Mistle Thrush (2) and Stock Dove (3).

A few spring flowers had started to bloom, with Marsh Marigold, Wood Anenome and Lesser Celandine in flower.

Year List update:

77 - Blackcap

78 - Willow Warbler

Red-necked Grebe - Carsington 2nd April 2021

Jayne and I went to Carsington on Friday and had a few hours walking around the dam wall, Stones Island and Hide area.

The highlight of the trip was a breeding plumaged Red-necked Grebe that we saw by the dam wall. No photo unfortunately, as the blog won't let me upload any!

Other  species new for the year were: Gadwall, Redshank, Willow Tit and Barnacle Goose ( 2 feral birds.

Year List update:

72 - Red-necked Grebe

73 - Gadwall

74 - Redshank

75 - Willow Tit

76 - Barnacle Goose

Linacre - 27th March 2021

 Last Saturday morning, I spent a couple of hours at Linacre. It was five degrees, windy, with a few hail showers!

Water bird numbers had begun to fall, but there were still reasonable numbers around: 52 Mallard, 73 Tufted Duck, 13 Mandarin, 4 Great-crested Grebe, 3 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Canada Geese, 1 Cormorant, 12 Coots and 11 Moorhens, including 1 sitting on a nest.

In addition, there were 5 singing Chiffchaffs, 3 drumming Great-spotted Woodpeckers (no Lessers!!), a singing Mistle Thrush, a Chaffinch with nesting material, a male Siskin by the top reservoir again, my first Linacre Treecreeper of the year, 2 Stock Doves in the bottom car park, a Brown Hare by the main entrance and, best of all, a female Yellowhammer, also by main entrance.