At the Mill Lakes there were three Cormorant, including one perched on the typical Tern Island post and another in a tree at Greylag Island. Two Mute Swan were doing their courtship "dance" near Mud Island, a pair of Great Crested Grebe were looking like they should be courting, and two Canada Goose were really fighting it out in the shallows, with bills clamped onto each other's neck and lots of wing flapping. The apparent victor, even chased off others afterwards. Spring is definitely in the air... or in the water. At least five Snipe were along the far bank by Mud Island.Just before I left I got the chance to phonescope (digi-scope using phone camera) a male Bullfinch feeding in the trees of the railway embankment by the Double Gates. These have turned out to be best images I've managed to capture of Bullfinch - they always fly off when my camera's ready!
On my way back to the main site, two Lapwing flew over Broad Valley Stables' Horse Paddock, heading west, and a single Mistle Thrush was in the paddock. Nothing of note was at Bestwood Quarry during a brief walk around, but a quick walk up Lamin's Lane produced a single Sparrowhawk over the field behind the Quarry, and a pair of Kestrel on some of the overhead wires. A small flock of about fifteen Golden Plover were seen briefly as they landed in their usual field, but I spent most of the time talking to the ex-Ogston birder near the private house. He was telling me about some of his more interesting records for that area (Whooper Swan, Merlin, Hobby, Wheatear, and Curlew!), and we saw a Coal Tit and at least seven Tree Sparrow (year tick) using the large feeder in the garden. A very nice morning, with a respectable 45 species recorded.
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