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.