A Day in the Park

Spent a long day in the park, birding the Mill Lakes and Leen Pastures in the morning, volunteering through the day (with lunch at Khalsa Wood), then Bestwood Quarry, a walk up Lamin's Lane, and back onto the Pit Tip to finish off before dinner.

On the Pit Tip at dawn were the usual species, including Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Siskin, and a couple of small flyover Redwing groups. A female Sparrowhawk was on a fence post of the main Pit Tip Plantation between Dunvegan Gate and new pond, and flew off right past me and over to Rise Park. Heading around past Vincent's View, a characteristic Green Woodpecker was on one of the fence posts at the top of Farmer Fox's Cow Field.

The juvenile Mute Swan were still at the Mill Lakes, and two more Greylag Goose had joined the single resident bird. At least three Teal were on the lake, plus a Grey Heron, a Cormorant, and a Great Crested Grebe. There was a single male Common Pheasant sat on a fence in Leen Pastures, and a Willow Tit was heard calling along the Leen, near the south east corner of the first pasture. Heading back through Broad Valley Stables' Horse Paddock, it was the right time of year for the odd Pied Wagtail on passage, and I picked out six or seven - including two or three first winter birds - whilst being mobbed by a crowd of horses. Walking to the ranger's office, I noticed a pair of Lesser Redpoll in the tops of the trees along Main Drive, close to Khalsa Wood. I returned here at lunchtime to try and see some of the usual woodland species, but failed dismally.

After the volunteering session had finished I had a walk around Bestwood Quarry, which was pretty quiet at that time of the day. Another male Common Pheasant was again sat on a fence on the hillside, and a late Chiffchaff calling constantly on the hillside bend was the most notable bird. I walked back through the woodland and out onto Lamin's Lane seeing plenty more Pheasants, but no Partridges. In the distance, beyond the mast I caught sight of a couple of Common Buzzard soaring above the tree line. When I got the birds in the scope another appaeared, and I was enough to see the three birds together soaring and playing over the field next to Woodside Liveries - the highlight of my day. Further up the lane, four ro so Mistle Thrush were on the wires over one of the farmer's fields, and the regular group of Tree Sparrow were frequenting the feeder of the first house.