Common Scoter

 After today's visit to Linacre, I saw a record of a male Common Scoter on Chesterfield Canal, so popped down there. It was still present, and Jayne and I managed great views.

Common Scoter

Year List update: 

103 - Skylark, 104 - Common Scoter

Linacre 18th March 2023 - Chiffchaffs are Back!

 I couldn't get down to Linacre last weekend because of the snow, so I went down this am to carry out March's WeBS count. As usual in March, it was quite quiet, but there were at least the first singing Chiffchaffs of 2023 (2).

Other birds seen (and heard) were: 66 Mallard, 38 Tufted Duck, 15 Coot, 13 Moorhen, 1 Grey Wagtail, 5 Black-headed Gull, 4 Great-crested Grebe (2 pairs), 2 Canada Goose, 1 Cormorant, 4 Mandarin Ducks, Song Thrush (5 singing), Goldcrest (singing) and Mistle Thrush (1 singing).

Clumber and Rufford - 12th March 2023

 On Sunday, I spent an hour at Clumber and an hour at Rufford, checking the Black-headed Gulls.

Although there were several hundreds gulls at Clumber (mostly Black-headed, but also Common and Herring) I only managed to spot one ringed bird, 208B. As it turned out, this bird was a new one for me, and this sighting was the first since being ringed, at Center Parcs, on 15th January 2022, as an adult bird. As you can see, it's in full breeding plumage, and looking very smart!

208B

Rufford was quieter, with just 100ish Black-headed Gulls around, but I did manage to see 12 green-ringed birds; 206A, 279A, 284A, 295A, 202B, 255B, 276B, 293B, 202C, 207C, 209C, 214C and 215C and a familiar metal-ringed bird EL87245. 

In addition to 208B, I also had 2 other new birds: 209C and 214C. 209C had been ringed at Center Parcs on 22nd December 2022, as a 3, born in 2022.

209C

214C, also a 1st winter bird, born in 2022, had also been ringed at Center Parcs, on 28th December 2022. 

214C

Pallas's Warbler!!!

 Yesterday, Jayne and I went down to Attenborough NR on the outskirts of Nottingham, to see a Pallas's Warbler (99)that has been resent for a week. As we arrived, the bird was "showing well" ( for a warbler, the size of a Goldcrest!!) in a hedgerow by the railway line. We managed to watch the bird for a good 15 minutes, as it flitted about, feeding amongst the willow buds, and fighting with a couple of Common Chiffchaffs, and the resident Blue Tits. A fantastic first "lifer" of 2023.

Whilst on site, we also managed to catch up with the 1st winter drake Smew (101) that I saw back in 2022. Other "year ticks" were Cetti's Warbler (97), Chiffchaff (98) and Egyptian Goose (100).

Another "year tick", Little Egret (102), was added today, in Belper - surprisingly, sat in a tree by a railway line!

Linacre - 4th March 2023

 My first visit of the meteorological spring this morning was a pretty quiet affair. Birds were singing (Dunnock, Robin, Song Thrush (4) and Mistle Thrush, 1), but otherwise it was quiet. No drumming was heard.

Out on the reservoirs there were 4 Great-crested Grebes, 2 Little Grebes, 14 Coot, 17 Moorhen, 75 Mallards, 31 Tufted Ducks, 6 Mandarins (3 pairs), 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Cormorants, 2 Canada Geese , 33 Black-headed Gulls (including a metal-ringed bird, that was flushed before I could get the number (!), 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 male Goosander.