Review of 2007

2007 was my first full year of birding. Through the year I've covered pretty much the whole park, averaging just over five visits a month. I recorded 97 species, including the Cuckoo, which was only heard, and the three good garden ticks: Pink-footed Goose, Waxwing, and Osprey. Six of the species I recorded were new species for me, having never seen them in the wild before. Each of these first encounters was a highlight for me, but there were many more. Here's a brief month-by-month overview of my highlights.

Having spent the new year in Scotland, my very first visit of the year on the 12th January produced lengthy views of my first Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the woodland and added Egyptian Goose to my patch list at the Mill Lakes. From home on the 23rd, I observed a skein 30-40 Pink-footed Goose, flying NNW over the Pit Tip. In February, I was lucky enough to film an photograph a single Waxwing on the 25th, when it perched on the lamppost at the end of my garden. Two Grey Partridge on the railway line at the Leen Pastures were another patch tick. The main highlights of March were a pair of Common Buzzard over Bestwood Quarry on the 11th, a single Golden Plover near Lamin's Lane on the 14th, and the three Shelduck at the Mill Lakes on the 25th.

The middle of the year was generally quieter, but being my first chance of any warblers there was plenty to aim for. In April my first Willow Warbler on the 19th and Whitethroat on the 22nd were nice, as was the male Yellowhammer at the Mill Lakes on the latter. The main highlight of May, and possibly the entire summer, was the stunning male Garganey present on just the 11th, which was reported around lunchtime and still present when I got there in the pouring rain in the evening - my first patch twitch! The Barnacle Goose on the Golf Course was an interesting find on the 23rd, as were the more tickable Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler. May also produced two stunning male Ruddy Duck that went past me laughing on the 29th and my first ever Tawny Owl on the same evening. A trip to Bestwood Quarry on the last day of May added Linnet to my patch list.

June was quiet, but I got my first footage of a Kingfisher to keep me happy. July produced nice views of a family of Kestrel on the 14th and patch ticks for Common Tern and Reed Warbler the following day. A dozen Mistle Thrush perched together on the 22nd was a nice site and I got some decent footage of a juvenile Kestrel on the 27th. The highlight of August was locating a local colony of Tree Sparrow on the 16th, thanks to an anonymous tip off on the blog.

The end of the year coincided with the start of my new job, which has restricted my weekday visits to the park, but I still managed to get some early mornings in, despite the poor light. On the 5th of September a single Lapwing was on Mud Island, and the Common Snipe have been present since at least the 13th. Two Kingfisher were seen on the 16th, but the three eclipse Wigeon were the highlight. My first Shovelor of the year was on the 18th, and the month finished with a Notts scarcity in the form of an Osprey seen from my garden as it drifted from over the Pit Tip on the 30th.

October brought more good birds in, and the news of the Stonechat that had been present all week on the Pit Tip got me there after work on the 9th - just in time. More notable, was the first winter Whinchat present the following morning - another Notts scarcity. A flock of Lesser Redpoll were on the Pit Tip on the 16th, Fieldfare on the 31st, and I finally caught up with the Water Rail on that day too.

November was a bit quieter, but three Little Grebe on the 10th was my highest site count, and the Stoat was a nice sight too. My first Siskin were small numbers on the 25th, with the larger flock found on the 4th of December at the Mill Lakes, then another flock were found on the Pit Top on the 11th.

In 2008, I'm hoping to catch up with some of the annual visitors that have so far eluded me, such as: Red-legged Partridge, Woodcock, Common Sandpiper, Herring Gull, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo (acutally see one!), Little Owl, Sand Martin, Garden Warbler, Brambling, and Common Redpoll. However, I'll also be looking to see the the scarcer birds again, particularly Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

The End of 2007

A short walk around the woodland with my daughter produced a single Nuthatch and three Goldcrest, at the top of Ted Heath, and a Green Woodpecker calling by the Triangle to finish off the year.

A Foggy and Frosty Morning

The morning started well, with a group of three Reed Bunting feeding along the path and hedgerow of the Pit Tip Top that borders the small conservation area alongside Front Line. The two females were quite showy, and the male more elusive. A single Green Woodpecker was on a fence post at the western side of Pit Tip Plantation, and an adult Pied Wagtail was feeding on the icy path there too.

At the Mill Lakes a single adult Mute Swan was with six juveniles on the Leen by the Reedbed and Vehicle Bridge. A vast amount of the lake was frozen and circa 170 Black-headed Gull were on the ice at the southern end, with another 60 at the north end (a personal site record). A Grey Heron was on Tern Island, and just two Pochard could be seen through the fog. A flock of ten Long-tailed Tit feeding in alder trees between Dipping Ponds and Peninsula contained at least one Siskin. The feeding station at Leen Pastures was empty, but produced brief views of a Water Rail along the railway embankment, which only stood out because there was nothing else moving in the area.

Highlight of the morning was a single Tree Sparrow in the hedgerow that runs alongside the farmer's field at the back of Broad Valley Stables' Horse Paddock, since there are no recent records of them in the park or near this location. The two other locations for nearby records are both over a kilometre away. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was also seen here, flying over in the direction of the Mill Lakes.

Before stopping by the rangers' station for a chat, I noted two Coal Tit on the feeders at Alexandra Lodge as well as the typical species. Heading home, I bumped into some friends from the park's "Friends of" group, and spoke briefly about Goldcrest calls, all of ten seconds before hearing and locating a single Goldcrest in a yew at Khalsa Wood! Two Nuthatch were together in the large trees directly above the path between the Three Ponds and the Triangle, loads of Chaffinch and ten Collared Dove were in trees around the back fence to Big Wood School Field, and a male Great Spotted Woodpecker at the back of Warren Hill finished off the morning.

Winter Quarry Walk

This afternoon was the organized winter walk around Bestwood Quarry for the newly-formed Friends of Bestwood Country Park group. It was a good excuse to get some birding in, whilst finding out more about the quarry area of the park.

On the Pit Tip there was a mixed finch flock of around twenty Siskin and ten Goldfinch feeding in alder down western edge of main plantation, they've been present since Tuesday am, at least. Two Green Woodpecker were feeding in Farmer Fox's Cow Fields, and a single Jay was in the sidings.

The quarry sightings were mainly flyovers consisting of several groups of 2-6 Lesser Black-backed Gull over in all directions (including four juveniles in one party of six), two Mallard were over towards Mill Lakes, as were two Mute Swan. On the ground a family party of four Bullfinch were on the hillside bend and another Jay was in the plantation at the top. An adult Red Fox was also present, showing well as it descended into the valley.

Heading back through the woodland produced another two Jay screeching away along main drive, and numerous Goldcrest were heard calling from yew trees along there too. Highlight of the walk was a Tawny Owl heard calling from conifers along 2nd valley just off main drive. Not bad for an afternoon visit.

Close Encounter with a Sparrowhawk

A morning walk around the Mill Lakes produced just one Grey Heron along the near bank, a single Great Crested Grebe, and two Little Grebe at the north end of the lake around the small island made up of an exposed tree root. Three Common Snipe and a Grey Wagtail were on Mud Island and the Pochard group numbered nine in the middle of the lake. The Siskin flock was at the Leen Pastures, with around forty birds present.

Heading back along the Sustrans path near to Reedbed, a female Reed Bunting was in the bramble and flew off towards Reedbed with two other probables. Two Greenfinch were at Dawson's Corner, and a Green Woodpecker was at the western side of the Pit Tip Plantation. Also present here was a flock of forty or so finches feeding in the alder, composed mainly of Siskin. As I watched them move from tree to tree a Sparrowhawk flew straight past at waist height and within reach! It was carrying some blackbird-sized prey back from the Rise Park gardens and into the western side of the main Pit Tip Plantation. Before leaving I also noted a gathering of eight Magpie on the Pit Tip Top.

Siskin Flock

A morning visit to the Mill Lakes before work produced a family party of Mute Swan at the north end of the lake, with two adults and four juveniles. At least some of the geese had returned, but these were just singles and couples of Canada Goose, numbering nine in total. At least one Common Snipe was hiding on Mud Island, and singles of Common Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull were over the water.

A single Willow Tit was on the Leen Pastures Feeding Station, which was dominated by eight or so Chaffinch. A finch flock of around 50-70 birds was seen briefly flying towards the lake from the trees around the feeding station, and I followed in search of what were probably Siskin. Back down the far side of the lake, I connected with the confirmed Siskin flock of 50+ birds feeding in some birch at the water's edge. Below them, I also got some nice footage of a Wren.

Siskins are In

A couple of Meadow Pipit were all that was to be seen on the Pit Tip Top at dawn. Arriving at the Mill Lakes I headed down to the Vehicle Bridge just behind Norman, who helpfully pointed out several singles, twos, and threes of Siskin feeding in the alders along the path to the Peninsula. Three Cormorant were on and around Tern Island, and a single Little Grebe was just south of the Peninsula. Good numbers of Teal were all around the lake, and three or more Shoveler were also present near the Greylag Island.

We met up with Ralph, and a single Mistle Thrush was in a tree by main entrance. There was another thrush too - a smaller one - possibly a Redwing, but too distant to clinch an ID. We headed out onto the Peninsula to look for Common Snipe; a couple were on the far bank and one on Mud Island, but Norman got us onto the Water Rail walking along the water's edge of the north west bank. Julie arrived and we examined the gulls. Two Common Gull were on the water amongst sixty plus Black-headed Gull, and a flock of fifteen Goldfinch went over to the far side of the lake.

As we walked around clockwise, a male Kestrel was perched in the trees backing on to the Dipping Ponds, and two Grey Heron were together in trees on one of the islands. There were still no geese to be seen. A distant Sparrowhawk was being mobbed by a crow over the lake, and the Pochard group at the south west side numbered seventeen - a personal highest count.

Heading up to the Leen Pastures a single Lesser Black-backed Gull went over, as did a Grey Wagtail. We'd heard a Willow Tit near the Peninsula earlier, but had good views of one on the feeding station.

There were good numbers of Blackbird, feeding on the ground around the edges of Broad Valley Stables' Horse Paddock, and another male Kestrel was on a fence post by the entrance to Bestwood Quarry. I chatted to the rangers for a bit, who'd been seeing off some rouge paintballers from the quarry, and got a nice male Bullfinch there too. On my way out of the park, a single Goldcrest was in a yew at back of Warren Hill. In all, a good morning that produced a respectable total of 41 species, and added a relatively easy patch tick in the form of the Siskin.

A Quick Autumn Walk

A quick walk around the Pit Tip and adjacent woodland before work didn't produce any of the scarcer finches, but was enjoyable, all the same. I started out by looking for a gull roost in Big Wood School's Paying Field, but nothing to be seen. Heading down into the woods below Ted Heath produced an obvious Nuthatch feeding in a bare tree, but this was my first record in this specific area. A group of seven or more Goldcrest were feeding around yews in Ted Heath, and they were joined by a mixed tit flock.

On the Pit Tip Top two Skylark were flushed by dog walker, and seven Meadow Pipit flushed from the main ride. A Cormorant was seen in the distance flying east from the direction of the Mill Lakes, and a Green Woodpecker flew from the Pit Tip Grassland into a tree on western edge of woodland.

Stoatally Different

Getting to the Mill Lakes before first light produced a personal highest count of three Little Grebe together at the very north end of lake where Leen enters. Also on the water were twelve Teal (ten were males), two female Pochard at the southern end, and two Cormorant were over as singles, then together on Tern Island in the late morning. A single Fieldfare was over to the west.

Just one day short of a year since my weasel sighting, I came across my first Stoat. Walking from the Mill Lakes to the Leen Pastures where the inlet pipe runs under the path, a rabbit was running straight down the path towards me being chased by what I first thought was a squirrel. As they got nearer it became obvious that it was either a stoat or a weasel, and the size and black tail tip confirmed the former.

Three Bullfinch were at the Leen Pastures gate, at least two were males. A single Grey Heron went over heading south. Along the Railway Line a single Goldcrest was in a large group of Long-tailed Tit and gave me some half-decent footage. Several large gulls went over to the west as I headed back towards the lake including an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Great Black-backed Gull (probably 2nd winter).

Another male Bullfinch was on the back ride, and yet another one was on the Reedbed Boardwalk. The Black-headed Gull count was relatively low at around 35, but five Common Snipe had appeared on the far bank clearing by Mud Island, and another one on the southern side of Mud Island. Interestingly, there were no geese on the lake at all.

The walk home via the Horse Paddock of Broad Valley Stables produced another group of four Pied Wagtail, this time three adults and one 1st winter. A Sparrowhawk was over Parkside Pasture, and a Coal Tit was in Khalsa Wood.

An End of the Month Patch Tick

Having not been to the Mill Lakes all month due to a heavy work schedule, I decided to head out before work and sneak in at least one visit before the month's end. It proved to be well worth it.

At the crack of dawn I headed over the Pit Tip Top, flushing just a single Meadow Pipit, and briefly sighting a flock of a dozen Fieldfare - my first of the year! Just before the double gates of Farmer Fox's Cow Field I flushed four birds that looked like partridge, and relocating them in the field south of Dawson's Corner, I had reasonable views of a group of four Grey Partridge feeding and running amongst the scrub.

A couple more Fieldfare flew towards the west at the Mill Lakes, and a group of seven Pochard were at the southern end of lake. Half a dozen Teal were spread out between the mid and northern end, and two Little Grebe were together where the Leen enters the lake.

Star of the morning was my first Water Rail of recent years, and a bit of a blocker. I first viewed it briefly from the Peninsula as it ran over the the exposed mud flat on Mud Island towards far bank. The bill was the obvious feature that separated it from any of the more typical species. I moved round to the north east bank to relocate it and got some amazing views as it paraded up and down the reeds of the far bank for several minutes in the sun, and not being very shy at 8am! Another one of those days I wish I'd taken the camera! The Kingfisher also put in a showing, landing in a tree that overhangs the water near where I stood.

On the way home a group of four first winter Pied Wagtail provided the final notable sighting before my day at work, as they fed in Broad Valley Stables' Horse Paddock - probably moving through on passage.

Quiet on the Pit Tip

A quick walk around the Pit Tip Top after work this evening, produced a reasonable-sized group of eight or more Meadow Pipit and a single Green Woodpecker.

Less of the Chat

Another trip onto the Pit Tip didn't produce either of the chat species today. The most notable sightings were a pair of Reed Bunting on the Pit Tip Top, one of which was a winter/moulting male, and a mixed finch flock feeding in the Plantation that contained at least four Lesser Redpoll.

Also present were two Green Woodpecker, one on the Pit Tip Grassland and one in the eastern side of the Plantation, plenty of Skylark, a few Meadow Pipit, and a single Pied Wagtail that flew over the Pit Tip Top heading south.

Stonechat and Whinchat

I had just under half an hour spare between it getting light and having to get sorted for work. Taking the camera with me in hope of getting some half-decent footage, I set off around 7am. After setting up on one of the quieter paths across the Pit Tip Top, I didn't have to wait long before a bird resembling a Stonechat popped up onto the protruding seed heads. This bird looked similar to the bird seen yesterday, but with a well-defined pale patch around the collar, and only a slight eye stripe, suggesting it was a first winter Stonechat. After ten minutes of fiddling around without getting anything in focus, the bird disappeared.

I packed up, walked along the path closer to where it was last seen, and flushed another bird out to a nearer perch. After a few minutes of good views with the bins, I began to think that this was the bird I'd seen yesterday and not the Stonechat I'd just seen. It lacked the well-defined pale collar patch, but - more notably - had a long and well-defined thin dark eye stripe. I dug the camera out for some footage, and did a quick attempt at vidibinning in the hope of getting a few stills. Despite hand-holding both the camera and the bins, I had enough for a few 'record shot' stills. Walking back I got the best views of what looked very good for a first winter Whinchat, and this was later confirmed by several experienced birders from the images. The thing that confused me was the wing panel, but apparently this is exhibited by some birds of a certain age/sex.

Possible Stonechat

Last night, a report of Stonechat on the Pit Tip Top appeared on Notts Birders' Sightings web page, so after arriving home from work early, I went for a quick look. Just as I was walking out onto the Pit Tip another birder - that I'd not met before - was just leaving. He'd seen a male and female Stonechat here over the past a few days, but had only confirmed it the day before. He said he'd not seen them this evening, but that they had always been on the Grassland area perched on the protruding scrub.

When I got up onto the highest point of the Pit Tip Top, I immediately connected with a bird that looked good for a Stonechat. The weather and light was good, but unfortunately, it was difficult to get close enough to the bird for a good view. The general shape and behaviour were good, and I could make out the orangey breast, white wing panel and collar, and a dark eye stripe. Although I think the bird was probably a first winter male, the latter feature - combined with the fact it was distant views - has justified a tentative ID.

When I left at 5:30pm, it was still showing on the Grassland between the highest point and the western side of the main Plantation. I'm hoping to get better views in the morning, before work.

Eyes on the Feeding Station

A relatively quiet morning began with a Tawny Owl heard from Dawson's Corner, as it called from the trees along Moor Road. I only managed a fleeting glance of its silhouette as it flew off when I got close enough.

The north end of the Mill Lakes was of the most interest today. From the end of the Peninsula I had three or four Teal around Mud Island, and seven Common Snipe were on the south side before they paraded around to the western side of the island. A single Little Grebe was around the bank of the island to the south west of the Peninsula and nearby there was a lethargic looking group of six Shoveler. Interestingly, I didn't see any Gadwall today.

The Leen Pastures Feeding Station looked as if it had been restocked, and despite being rather empty, attracted the attention of a Wren, a Robin, a Dunnock, numerous Great Tit and Chaffinch, and a Grey Squirrel. As I was heading home, I met a new birder called Mick near the Vehicle Bridge, who'd just seen the Grey Wagtail. I shared a few of my interesting sightings with him and passed on the information about the best areas to see Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, which he was interested in tracking down. Just before I left, I caught sight of the Kingfisher as it flew over the lake from near the Vehicle Bridge.

Osprey from the Garden

My garden's just a stone's throw away from the park, so despite it not being on my Bestwood list (yet), a very notable Osprey sighting deserves a mention. Read more about it here.

Brace for the Ducks

On the way to the Mill Lakes I only heard the Meadow Pipit on the Pit Tip Top this morning. Four Jay were heading out of the Pit Tip Plantation, and two Chiffchaff were singing at Dawson's Corner. At the Mill Lakes a Chiffchaff was singing at the Reedbed Boardwalk, another one at the end of the Peninsula, and a further was singing along the far side. Several Willow Warbler were heard calling too, one also being along the Reedbed Boardwalk.

Gadwall and Teal numbers were up again with around ten of each, and roughly equal numbers of between the Gadwall sexes. Two Shoveler were south of the Peninsula, with the female being joined by a male emerging from eclipse plumage. The Mud Island had two Common Snipe showing well today, and Julie turned up whilst I was watching them. Ralph wasn't coming this morning, but Norman joined us for a lap of the lake.

Norman and Julie had a probable female Ruddy Duck along the far bank, but I couldn't make out enough of the detail to call it for myself. We also had a few glimpses of one of the Kingfisher flying around the lake and perching in various trees along far bank. A single House Martin was passing through over the lake, but that was about it.

Walking home via the Broad Valley Stables route produced some reasonable numbers crows in the field adjacent to the lane, with Rook and Jackdaw in the majority. A few Stock Dove were also in amongst the Woodpigeon. The paddock of Broad Valley Stables produced a good view of a Mistle Thrush singing from an overhead wire, and another two Jay flew over. Just as I was about to leave the park, a skulking Robin was calling from the cover of a small tree, which made for some close-up footage.

A Duck for the Year

Another trip to the Mill Lakes produced yet more Meadow Pipit on the Pit Tip Top, and a Kestrel was hunting around the far side of the Plantation. A couple of Willow Warbler were still around at Dawson's Corner, along with a male Bullfinch.

A family party of Bullfinch were at the Reedbed Boardwalk, as was the first of two singing male Chiffchaff, the other being by the Dipping Ponds with a pair of Song Thrush feeding on the berries. One or more Blackcap were chasing about in the marshy area at the other side of the path, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over towards Moor Road.

On the water the Gadwall and Teal numbers were about the same as in previous visits, and I finally got onto the elusive female Shoveler (year tick) moving around the south side of the Peninsula. A single Little Grebe was also present along this stretch, which proved popular last year. There was no sign of the Snipe today, but I did get a nice view of a Sparrowhawk later that morning at the end of my road.

First Autumn Patchwatch Day

Today was the Notts Birders' Autumn Patchwatch Day, so I planned an early walk to the Mill Lakes via the Pit Tip to meet up with the other regulars. However, nobody else was about today, but it was still a good patch day for me with 42 species recorded, including two patch ticks.

The morning began well, with two small groups of four and three Meadow Pipit flushed from the Pit Tip Top, and another possible group of three over close to Farmer Fox's Cow Field at sunrise. A group gather here every Autumn, and it seemed appropriate that they were here in time for the Patchwatch. Dawson's Corner produced a singing male Chiffchaff, a male Linnet - seemingly part of a larger group that were flushed when I arrived, and a bright male Bullfinch feeding in the hawthorn. Near the large oak along the Sustrans path a group of between six and ten Goldcrest were my first in many months.

A respectable 16 Greylag Goose were together in the middle of the Mill Lakes , along with slightly-increased numbers of Gadwall [six males and two females] and Teal [seven eclipse/female/juveniles]. Black-headed Gull numbers were still mediocre at 52, but the single Common Snipe was showing reasonably well again on the south side of Mud Island, allowing for some better VidiBin captures. Two Kingfisher were a highlight of the morning, as they chased each other around the north end of the lake, with one settling for a few minutes on the fallen tree of Mud Island. The Carrion Crow with a white outer primary was again on Mud Island. Walking along the Railway Embankment to the Leen Pastures produced a silent Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler.

Arriving a the Leen Pastures, three or four moulting male Common Pheasant ran for cover, and a Grey Heron was on the far bank of the Leen. Two Jay were causing a commotion and flushed a Green Woodpecker, which called as it flew low over the nearest field. A Willow Tit was heard calling near the feeding station, a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over showing its lush red vent, and a Grey Wagtail was also over from the Leen and heading towards the small lake on the Golf Course.

Back at the Mill Lakes, two Rook flew over heading west, and I was about to head home when I picked out an odd looking duck from the Peninsula - in fact there were three of them. They had the feel of Wigeon, but the colouring was wrong in comparison to the Wigeon I'd seen last winter in Scotland. Luckily they were close by, and I took a mental description before getting some footage as a clincher. My initial thoughts were correct, but I'd no recent experience of eclipse male Wigeon to go by. They were moving off towards the south side of the lake, so I followed, but lost them before the Dipping Ponds. I did pick up another Grey Heron in the reeds at the far side, though.

The walk home produced a single Great Black-backed Gull slowly drifting southwards towards the Pit Tip - another patch tick. A male Yellowhammer was seen briefly flying along the hedgerow near Broad Valley Stables, and a couple of Barn Swallow were over the paddock. All in all, a great morning for me.

Owl Video Hunt (Part 1)

This morning I headed out for a brief - but early - walk in an attempt to film some owls, after my recent Pit Tip Top owl experience. I didn't manage any footage, but did hear just one Tawny Owl calling along Front Line. I also heard a Green Woodpecker from Hanging Heath, and briefly saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the large horse chestnut by the north-west corner of Big Wood School Playing Field.

First Snipe of the Autumn

The overnight weather conditions looked promising, so I headed out for a pack-up lunch and an afternoon at the Mill Lakes in an effort to see some autumn birds. A female Sparrowhawk was being mobbed by crows over Farmer Fox 's Cow Field, and as I watched the battle, another came into distant view over towards the Mill Lakes. A male Kestrel was repeatedly calling from the top of a tree at Dawson's Corner before moving off low over the fields. A Green Woodpecker was seen briefly as it flew from a fence post having been flushed by dog walker, and a flock of 35 Black-headed Gull were heading south from the direction of the Mill Lakes.

The middle section of the Mill Lakes produced the typical lonely adult Great Crested Grebe, around half a dozen Gadwall and a few Teal. Only two singing male Chiffchaff today, but one at end of Peninsula was showing very well, revealing a metal ring on its leg. I also caught a brief glimpse of a Kingfisher as it flew around one of the larger islands.

Just 41 Black-headed Gull were on the water around Mud Island, but I had seen that flock flying off earlier. The south side of the Mud Island produced a Common Snipe showing well for 15 minutes or so, but my VidiBin technique didn't really work without anything to balance the bins on. In the background, a Little Grebe was working its way around the reeds of the far bank, before I sat down for my (late) lunch. Everything went pretty quiet after that, and all I could add was a single Stock Dove and another Sparrowhawk, which was probably the same distant bird from earlier.

Quiet Quarry

A quiet late-afternoon trip to Bestwood Quarry after another volunteer session, produced a few notable birds. The entrance was very quiet, except for a female Green Woodpecker looking rather exposed on a silver birch. A Common Whitethroat was seen briefly at the hillside bend, and around the corner small numbers of Great Tit and Long-tailed Tit were moving through the trees. A Jay was nicely lit in the afternoon sun, as it flew between the trees, and a group of ten or so House Martin were over the eastern side, and began to mob a female Sparrowhawk out of the sky. Walking toward the sand bank, flushed the Sparrowhawk up from the ground and I got good views as it passed reasonably low over my head. That was about it - quiet, but pleasant.

Morning Owls

This morning I was on the Pit Tip Top early enough to hear two Tawny Owl calling from around the Shopping Trolley Pond area, and then another two (or possibly the same) were calling along Front Line just a few seconds later.

Arriving at the Mill Lakes for dawn, it was a little misty, but not bad enough to prevent me flushing a Grey Wagtail from under Vehicle Bridge. It flew off towards or into the gardens by the Hucknall tramline. A male Blackcap was at end of Reedbed Boardwalk, along with a male Bullfinch (possibly with a female too) in the Alder Carr. A Chiffchaff was also showing well. Another Tawny Owl called briefly from the trees around the Dipping Ponds, and a singing male Chiffchaff was heard too.

Heading up to the north end of the lake the Teal and Gadwall numbers were about the same as in recent visits, but the "five female Teal" now appears to be just a group of five Teal, since at least two were determined to be eclipse males showing signs of yellow undertail sides - a lesson learnt! The Gadwall were more spread out than usual, but I counted three of each sex. A reasonable 71 Black-headed Gull were on the water around the Mud Island, and a Common Gull over to the north-east was my first of the year.

Walking along the disused Railway Line towards Leen Pastures produced two Jay and a single Common Whitethroat was in the scrub along the cycle/foot path to Hucknall. A Pied Wagtail flew over Leen Pastures and Golf Course. A Green Woodpecker was calling from the wood along the Leen, and I spent some time along the river bank looking for the Kingfisher, but without a definite sighting. I did stumble upon an interesting looking fungi with the appearance of charcoal though, which I think is the destructive species Kretzschmaria deusta. Heading back to the lake I had two separate female Bullfinch sightings, including one on the Railway Embankment. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over the Peninsula area heading to woods on the far bank, and a group of ten or more House Martin were heading west over the lake.

At Dawson's Corner, a group of five or six similar-sized birds flew together along the path from Orchard Corner, towards me and over my head. All, except one, disappeared into a nearby tree, and the exception - a moulting male Reed Bunting - perched on top. There was a good chance that the other birds were also Reed Bunting, but the views were too brief to confirm this and they disappeared in the direction of the Winding House. A female Blackcap was feeding on elder berries, possibly with a male, but the other bird was too deep in cover.

On the Pit Tip, two Jay were in the Plantation; one going back and forth to to Front Line was seen carrying a small oak branch. Another two were heard and seen screeching near Shopping Trolley Pond. A group of half-a-dozen Barn Swallow were flying low over the Pit Tip Grassland. A notable Green Woodpecker sighting had three together on fence posts of the Pit Tip Plantation - two adult (presumed females) and one juvenile - all flushed as a dog ran up to me. A further bird was also heard calling from the Shopping Trolley Pond area.

Lapwing on Mud Island

An afternoon walk around the Mill Lakes with the family started by meeting Steve at the entrance to the Peninsula. He'd just had a Lapwing on the Mud Island and a Little Grebe near the middle of the lake. The Lapwing was still there, being harassed by a Magpie on the southern bank of the island, showing off its yellowish-orange vent . There was no obvious sign of the Little Grebe, but I didn't get chance for a good look. The Gadwall and Teal were still present, and I finished the walk off with a Sparrowhawk over the grass behind the Dipping Ponds heading towards the Reedbed and a male Kestrel hunting over the grass area and farmer's field by the main entrance.

A Trickle of Warblers

I haven't managed to get out to the Mill Lakes as much as I wanted to this month, so that was the agenda for this morning. It was quite windy over the Pit Tip Top at sunrise, and the first notable sighting was a large immature gull - probably Lesser Black-backed - heading north-west over my head. A male Kestrel was battling with the winds over Farmer Fox's Cow Field, and a couple of other large scruffy gulls were over too, but none that I could see well enough to identify.

At the Mill Lakes, the Reedbed Boardwalk had one, or possibly two, Bullfinch, but I was unsure of its sex as the colouring seemed to be between a typical male and female, being closer to a female. The wing bar and black crown were barely visible due to its moult. Walking on to the Peninsula, a Green Woodpecker flushed from feeding on the grass, and several small finch flocks were bobbing away from me before I had chance to get a good look.

A group of eight Gadwall [five male and three female] were together at north end of the lakes, and later I saw a few more at the far side, but they were possibly from the same group. Five Teal were lingering around the Mud Island - all of them female*. The numbers of Black-headed Gull seemed to be down on my last visit, and a count of 42 confirmed this. Amongst them in the shallows was a single Grey Heron , but a gunshot-like sound flushed everything from the north end of the lake, including the Heron.


Along the Back Ride, I had two or three more sightings of a Green Woodpecker, with two or more seen in total. Mid-way along far bank of the lake, a tit flock consisting mainly of Long-tailed Tit was moving through. Plenty of warblers were still around, including a fresh looking male Blackcap, a male Chiffchaff was seen singing, and a group of three or more Willow Warbler were calling around there too.

Back down near the Vehicle Bridge, I picked up the streaky juvenile Great Crested Grebe in tow with one of its parents again. A Grey Heron , presumably the one that had flown off in this direction earlier was on the bank opposite the Reedbed. The walk home was uneventful, but a juvenile Goldfinch at Dawson's Corner was - surprisingly, my first of the day.

* A more-recent visit showed that I may have mistakenly sexed eclipse males as females.

Father and Son Time

I took my one year-old son for a walk (push) around the woods this afternoon, to play in the park and see what was about. A male Sparrowhawk was hunting over Hanging Heath and slowly drifting towards the Pit Tip. At the Khalsa Wood I had a single Treecreeper, and a Nuthatch was knocking about in the trees. I met up for a chat with Steve - the ranger - who'd just returned from a bit of birding at the Mill Lakes, but all was quiet, except some female Pochard and a female Shoveller, which I'll be trying to get in the next few days.

Thanks for the Tip

After a recent tip-off on finding Tree Sparrow along Lamin's Lane, I planned an early walk out that way. The lane is approximately L-shaped, running from Killarney Park at the northern end to Mansfield Road at the eastern end. I get there via the north eastern side of Big Wood, where a track joins Lamin's Lane at the corner of the L. Previously, I've only covered the stretch that runs north to south, so this morning I headed along the other stretch running east to west. From the aerial photos, I know there's a small lake to the south of this stretch, in the middle of some farmer's fields. This is obviously attracting some birds to the area, as a Cormorant was circling it on and off throughout the morning. A little further down the lane, two Pied Wagtail flew over in that direction too. Numerous Barn Swallow were flying low over the adjacent fields, looping up over the hedges and heading back for more.

About three quarters of the way along the lane there's a point where a few gates lead into the surrounding fields and the hedgerows converge. One of these is a small plot sign-posted as a Gedling Caravan Club site, and although there were no caravans there, the plots were set up, as were several bird tables. It was quite a nice spot to stop, and looked good for Tree Sparrow. I could make out some small birds feeding in the scrub towards the back of the field, but they were too far away to see clearly. I didn't have to wait long for them to come closer, and they flew over my head to the hedgerow on the other side of the lane. All but one disappeared into or behind the hedge, but one conveniently perched on the top - a Tree Sparrow.

A male Yellowhammer landed in the dead tree about five meters away, but had gone before I got the camera out. Two more Tree Sparrow landed on the tarmac of the lane, but a passing car flushed them before I could get any footage. After a few more brief sightings, I walked on to the end of the lane, just to see what the area was like. There was a farm house here, and the hedgerows were too tall to see anything, but I was lucky enough to catch a Great Spotted Woodpecker, flying from trees on the far side of Mansfield Road to a large tree in a nearby garden. Heading back didn't produce anything new, except a rather confused Grey Squirrel, and my walk back through Big Wood was rather uneventful. Before walking home, I stopped briefly to look for any Barn Swallow under Alexandra Lodge, and found two having a rest.

A Cockatoo at the Mill Lakes

After a great morning at Welbeck, I popped into the Mill Lakes to show my dad around. The weather was nice, and the park was busy with dog walkers, but at that time of day it was to be expected. There was nothing much of note, except a Mute Swan swimming whilst holding its left leg clear out of the water - possibly broken. As we were on the way out, my dad picked up on a call, which was unfamiliar to me - a cockatiel! I'd recently been told that a cockatiel had been heard or seen around the Railway Embankment. This call was coming from the trees around the Dipping Ponds, and before we managed to connect with it, it had disappeared towards the north. Just five minutes later, as we were getting in to the car, we saw a Cockatiel fly over from the direction of Broadvalley Stables and heading to the Mill Lakes - so it certainly gets about. Despite it being an escape, it was still the highlight of our visit.

Editor's note: This entry has been edited because the cockatiel was wrongly identified as another species of cockatoo in the original entry. Thanks to my dad for putting me straight on that one!

A Bird in the Hand

This morning there was a bird ringing demonstration down by the Reedbed Boardwalk of the Mill Lakes, and I was keen to help Steve - the ranger - with setting up. However, it was also the first weekend in about six months that we were child free. The previous evening we'd been to our friends' for dinner and drinks, which meant forcing myself out of bed after just three hours' sleep, to get to the Mill Lakes before 7am.

On the way down, I stopped for a minute or two to listen to a strange 'reeling' call coming from the dense hedgerow at Orchard Corner. The bird didn't show itself, but surely it was too late in the season for a Grasshopper Warbler? Having no previous experience, all I had to go on was a recollection of the song to compare to online recordings when I got home. It was a good fit, but I'll put it down as a "possible, but unlikely" - although I can't think what else it might have been.

Steve had been at the Reedbed for a good hour already, and two 100-foot nets were already up. I'd had no previous experience of ringing, so Steve showed me how to put up the final 60-foot net along the Reedbed Boardwalk, before going through the equipment, and the routine. The weather wasn't ideal, since the wind was blowing the nets, making them more visible to the birds. The Boardwalk net was our best hope, and sure enough, by the time Steve had gone through the basics, three birds were in the net.

The first haul yielded a Chiffchaff, a Robin, and a Lesser Whitethroat. Steve extracted them from the net and bagged them, before passing the bags to me. All three required rings, and I scribed the records as Steve did all the hard work. Steve showed me how to hold the birds with the famous ringer's grip, and I was allowed to hold and release the Robin and Lesser Whitethroat - a great experience for me.

Next up was a family party of Great Tit: one adult female and three juveniles - all very determined to take a chunk of finger with them. Two had been ringed previously, including the adult. After the last was ringed, Steve insisted that I release it, thus ensuring I got a few pecks too - it looked worse than it felt, though.

As Steve went to check the Reedbed nets, I watched another Chiffchaff fly into the Boardwalk net. A further bird -possibly a Robin - also got in, but managed to free itself. Steve was back in no time, because nothing had been caught on the Reedbed - it was still too windy. The Chiffchaff had been ringed previously; in fact, last year at this same spot. As we headed back to measure and record the details, Rob - another ranger - arrived to help with the demonstration.

Several others turned up, also keen to get a close look at the birds. Steve checked the nets again and came back with an unringed juvenile Wren and an unringed Willow Tit. A further check of the nets brought us a juvenile Reed Warbler that required ringing, and whilst the rangers were answering some of the questions, another Robin flew into the Boardwalk net - a retrapped female that was ringed here prior to 2004.

After the session had finished, we were doing a final check of the nets just in time to see an adult Bullfinch flying towards it, spot it, and then backtrack into the Alder Carr. However, an adventurous juvenile from the same family party was already in the net. This was the highlight for me, because after it was ringed I was allowed to release it. It seemed quite happy to hang around, staying in my open hand for about fifteen seconds - until Steve gave it a little hurry-up nudge.

Afterwards, I had a quick walk around the lake to see if anything obvious was about. We'd already heard and seen a Green Woodpecker as it flew over the lake during the demonstration, and I didn't expect to see much at that time because the park was busy in the late morning sunshine.

At the north end of the lake, a good number of Black-headed Gull had gathered in the water, with new birds coming in to join them from the north. I did a count of 62, which is my highest count in a while, and noted the mix of moult stages; from just starting to lose the brown heads, to seemingly full winter plumage. A single adult female Teal was sat in the shallows by Mud Island - my first in recent months. I headed back home via the Broadvalley Stables route, but the only notable sighting was a male Pheasant in Big Wood School Field - probably the same one from last week.

A brilliant morning for me. Aside from seeing and handling some great birds close up, I learnt quite a bit about the ringing process, and how birds are identified, aged, and sexed. I think I was actually of some help too, and I can't wait to do it again.

An Early Sign of Winter

After a latish night and a slight hangover, I was surprised I made it out by 5am this morning. The Pit Tip only produced a Red Fox alongside the main Plantation and a picturesque sunrise, but heading down the hill to Dawson's Corner I sighted a group of three Cormorant heading south, high over the Mill Lakes and down the Leen at 5:15am.

Heading down the Reedbed Boardwalk a yellow juvenile Willow Warbler was feeding in the Alder Carr. A Reed Warbler was in the surrounding willows, and a Jay was in the trees along eastern edge of the Reedbed. Heading around the lake produced a possible Garden Warbler seen briefly behind the Dipping Ponds, where a Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Tit where also seen and heard. A single 'sum plum' Ruddy Duck was in the middle of lake moving between the islands, and one of the adult Great Crested Grebe had the juvenile in tow again. Towards the north end a (probable juvenile) Grey Heron was circling the lake, but seemed to fly off, and a group of Canada Goose flew in from the north to yield a count of 62.

The stone bank island had emerged from the water again today, but there was little of interest at the north end, so I headed up to the Leen Pastures. Again, all was quiet. Even the Golf Course was quiet, with a distant Kestrel hovering in the background. Walking back along the embankment produced a few warblers, including another Lesser Whitethroat.

Back at the Peninsula, I crossed paths with two kids equipped with fishing rods. They didn't seem too pleased to see me, but only moved on to the next jetty. Moving on myself, Ralph caught my attention with a whistle, and I headed up to meet him as he waited for Julie. Having not seen the others since April, we caught up on the latest news, and set off round the lake.

A Pied Wagtail was in the long grass near the Dipping Ponds, and reaching the far side, a Sparrowhawk was circling high over the lake. A few Bullfinch were elusively feeding on the rowan berries, giving the slightest of views. I picked out a female/juvenile and then a male, before we retraced our steps to take the back path instead - barely anything to be seen though.

We spent about twenty minutes at the north end. A couple of single Black-headed Gull put in an appearance before one adult in winter plumage, came in and settled on the water. It was joined by two others in their summer to winter transition, hinting at the start of winter. Another birder, who I'd not met before, joined us for a chat and I picked up the juvenile Great Crested Grebe again, now separated from the adults, which is first time I've seen it away from its parents. Julie picked up on two Cormorant circling high over the southern end of the lakes, and then flying north over our heads.

It was time to be getting back, and the three of us parted company with the other birder. We had a quick look for the Grey Wagtail under the bridge where Ralph had seen it earlier, but without any luck. As Julie and I walked back along the path the the main entrance a Chiffchaff put in an appearance, showing just well enough for us to see its leg ring, and a male Yellowhammer was heard singing from the hedgerow behind the adjacent farmer's field. A nice, but relatively quiet, morning, racking up a respectable total of 45 species.

Two Notable Juveniles

A nice morning walk with my children started with a Jay at Ted Heath, which flew off quickly, much to the disappointment of my little girl. She made up for it by finding a male Pheasant along the western edge of Big Wood School Field, which turned out to be first one this month recorded in our 10km square on BirdTrack - obviously a notable record!

After a play in the Adventure Playground, we headed down to the Khalsa Wood, which was quiet enough to produce a Coal Tit, a Treecreeper, and a Nuthatch. The skies were overcast, but a very yellow-coloured warbler resembling a Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler caught my attention as it called from a tree top behind the Khalsa Wood. Noting a mental description and looking it up when we got back, confirmed my first juvenile Willow Warbler.

Day of the Kestrel

Leaving between dawn and sunrise, produced a family of Red Fox (two adults and a juvenile), and two Lesser Black-backed Gull heading SW over the Pit Tip on my way to the Mill Lakes. A male Kestrel was over Farmer Fox's Cow Field, two Chiffchaff - one a singing male - were together at Dawson's Corner, and a juvenile red-crowned Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the large oak of the farmyard near the western entrance and viewed from the Sustrans path.

At the Mill Lakes an adult Black-headed Gull was circling, and a flock of around ten more were over to the north-east. The number of geese and swans seemed to be back down to normal, with quick counts of 15 Mute Swan and 16 Greater Canada Goose. Two adult Great Crested Grebe were on the lake, one of them with the streaky juvenile in tow. Two Reed Warbler were calling in the willows around the Reedbed Boardwalk, and another male Kestrel was hunting over Reedbed. At the Leen Pastures two more were seen, including one of the juveniles that landed on Railway Line. The morning sun allowed for some brief footage of the juvenile hunting over the Golf Course.

Heading back via the back path produced a good view of a female Sparrowhawk flying low, towards me across the Horse Paddock at Broadvalley Stables and up into the hedgerows behind me. This was briefly followed by a lot of commotion from all the smaller birds using the hedgerow for cover. The Sparrowhawk emerged a minutes later, seemingly unsuccessful, and flew up over the rooftops of the nearby houses. Three Mistle Thrush were on the overhead wires at the entrance to Bestwood Quarry, but I didn't have time to venture in to the quarry itself.

Yet another male Kestrel was hunting over the Parkside Pasture, this time with one or two missing secondaries, and the same bird was later seen over the Horse Paddock by the Adventure Playground. To finish the morning off, I had my first Treecreeper of the summer on a large tree trunk along Woodman's Path, which also permitted some reasonable footage.

Mistle Thrush by the Dozen

This evening I walked around Bestwood Quarry via the Winding House area, producing a single Coal Tit in the firs by the Winding House. Good numbers of the common finches were in the hedgerows along Parkside Pasture, with Greenfinch, Goldfinch, and Chaffinch - the former in dominant numbers with plenty of juveniles. An overhead wire nearby provided a perch for many of the Goldfinch, and a couple of possible Linnet, but the views were too distant, and the evening sun may have been playing tricks on me.

A lack of Barn Swallow at the entrance to the quarry might have been indicative of the Hobby that was seen hunting there on Friday afternoon - no sign of it this evening. The hillside near the entrance had seven Mistle Thrush and a single male Yellowhammer all searching for food on the ground. All flew off as two men with mountain boards walked/rode along the main path towards the entrance. The Yellowhammer flew off to join a female on a nearby overhead wire. The setting sun wasn't in my favour, with most of the birds in silhouette or tinted to strange colours. However, I did count twelve Mistle Thrush by the entrance on the overhead wires over the Horse Paddock.

Walking home I met another birder, Sean, who'd taken a recent interest in my Bestwood sightings. We had a nice chat about the park and its wildlife. He let me know of some recent Woodcock sightings, roding near to Broadvalley Stables, so I'll have to check that area out at sunset.

The 'Monday Volunteer'

Today I did some volunteer work in the park at the organized 'Monday Volunteers' event. Despite the good weather today, last night's thunderstorm probably put others off, as I was the only volunteer. I spent the morning with Sue - the ranger - clearing nettles and thistles from the boardwalk of the Dipping Ponds, where I learnt the difference between ferns and bracken, and saw my first Large Yellow Underwing moth. I had my lunch on the picnic table in the garden of Alexandra Lodge, where I watched a couple of different butterflies, including Red Admiral and one of the two Heath species, probably Small Heath, as the other is uncommon in Nottinghamshire. A pair of Woodpigeon were nest building close by, a Wren had a quick look in, a Song Thrush was sat in a nearby tree, and a group of 16 Black-headed Gull flew over heading SSE.

In the afternoon Sue and I were joined by another ranger - Jon, who helped us cut back the growth from the base of a lime tree near the Bestwood Lodge Drive car park. When we were done, there was one last job for the day... dispose of a lovely damp and smelly double mattress, kindly dumped by some idiot. After that I decided to do some real birding in the glorious afternoon sun.

Heading into the entrance of Bestwood Quarry, I noted a Greenfinch and two Goldfinch in the hedgerow by the stables. A few other finches were flying over, possible Linnet, but only silhouettes to go by. As I walked down the verge, a Sparrowhawk was soaring over the back of the quarry - the first I've seen in a while now. Nearing the infamous bend, a Lesser Whitethroat popped out of the scrub and perched to give great views in the afternoon sunshine.

Around the corner a few distant Stock Dove flushed, and continued to do so throughout my walk. I glimpsed some movement at the top of the scrub and connected with a male Linnet. More movement produced three birds, a pair with a single - possibly a juvenile. I also noted a Common Whitethroat, before moving on to ascend the sandy bank. On the way up, I had my first sightings on some grasshopper/cricket species, which I'd been hearing all around the quarry. Two small blueish coloured insects were sunbathing on a stone about halfway up - I might try to ID them at some point.

Absolutely nothing to be seen at the top, but I noted that the ever-increasing green border fence had reached here, thus preventing anyone from venturing into the wood by Mushroom Farm, and keeping me from seeing the Weasel again. I can't complain, as it's probably private land. On the main path back down, I flushed a Green Woodpecker from feeding in the grassy area - it's becoming predictable! By the entrance, a male Linnet was singing from one of the overhead wires in the adjacent horse paddock, and attracted two females: the first flew off only to be replaced by another, but that one didn't stay either. To finish the day off, a pair of Grey Partridge were feeding in amongst a group of Starling in the horse paddock - I'm still waiting for those red-legged though!