Winter Passage

A north-west passage of Lesser Black-backed Gull was evident this morning with small numbers over the Pit Tip throughout the morning, including groups of eight and four birds, and several singles. At Leen Pastures two Willow Tit were at the Feeding Station, a large Goldfinch flock of around 200 birds was at the north pasture with at least 40 Siskin. A male Yellowhammer was on a hedgerow in Broad Valley.

Return of the Golden Plover

Thirteen Common Pheasant in Woodside Liveries - ten of the eleven males were the melanistic type. A small flock of Fieldfare with a single Redwing flew south down Lamin's Lane towards the Woodland. The main highlight of the morning was a flock of 57 Golden Plover. Several Lapwing were also around Top Woods Ground.

Chasing the Winter

A small flock of 40 Siskin were around the east side of lake being chased by a Sparrowhawk, with a few Redwing and six Common Snipe also present. A Kingfisher flew south past the end of the Peninsula, and three Common Gull were in Broad Valley Paddocks.

No Shoveler

No Shoveler seen at all this morning. A single Kingfisher was flying over the lake, and finches were down to 30 Siskin with the odd Lesser Redpoll by the Dipping Ponds. Three male Pheasant were in Spinney Field, and a Grey Heron flew over it. There was a Mistle Thrush at the Triangle and Goldcrest were heard in the yews there too.

Two Shoveler

A pair of Shoveler were near the bank around Willow Carr, and three male Goosander flew over low to the south down the Leen. Two Little Grebe and three Great Crested Grebe were on the lake with two Cormorant high over south-west. Good-sized finch flocks at the lakes contained 100 Goldfinch, 70 Siskin, and just ten Lesser Redpoll, with a Sparrowhawk hunting through them. Another Sparrowhawk was hunting the flock of Redwing near Khalsa Wood. A Grey Wagtail flew over Leen Pastures towards Mill Lakes.

One Shoveler

At Mill Lakes at least one male Shoveler was at the southern end of the lake with seven Pochard. Fifteen Lesser Redpoll were in alders at the entrance to the Dipping Ponds, and the young juvenile Great Crested Grebe from the second brood was with one of its parents. At least twenty Common Snipe were showing on Mud Island, and a Grey Wagtail went over the Peninsula.

Two Remainder One

At least one Red-crested Pochard remains at the south end of the lake. A male Grey Wagtail flew downstream at the wooden footbridge and landed on a bit of piping in the water and then fed, picking off flies from above the water. At least one Willow Tit was seen whilst filling up the feeders at Leen Pastures Feeding Station.

Pit Tip and Dawson's Corner

On the Pit Tip a Sparrowhawk was hunting in Rise Park Conservation Area and there were several small flocks of Goldfinch feeding around the Pit Tip Pond. At Dawson's Corner there was a Song Thrush, about ten Redwing feeding on elders, and at least three Bullfinch.

An Odd Pair of Pochards

A pair of male Red-crested Pochard were at the south end of the lake this morning. One in breeding plumage, the other in eclipse plumage. These are the first potentially wild birds I've encountered, with Arnot Hill Park's birds certainly being feral. Also of note were two Little Grebe fishing off the bank of Tupelo Island, and confirmation that the pair of Great Crested Grebe have had a second brood with the two adults seen with a young juvenile, and the more mature juvenile also seen. At Leen Pastures, at least one Siskin was present in the alders with a flock of Goldfinch. On Broad Valley Horse Paddocks ten Meadow Pipit were feeding in with at least ten Pied Wagtails - cleary Autumn passage migrants.

Leen Pastures Feeding Station - Revived

This afternoon I installed the new feeders provided by the Friends of Bestwood group. In an hour and a half around the feeding station there were two Sparrowhawk overhead and in the trees at Leen Pastures, and a single Common Buzzard was flushed from a tree Leen Woodland. All five tit species were present at the feeders with a flock of Long-tailed Tit moving through, and both Coal Tit and Willow Tit visiting the seed feeder whilst Blue Tit and Great Tit preferred the peanuts. Jay and Magpie also showed interest in the feeding station with one or two visiting the table. A late House Martin flew south over Leen Pastures, and at least five Common Snipe were showing on the banks of Mud Island.

Birthday Birding

A nice long walk about most parts of the park had a few highlights, including the first Redwing of the autumn as three flew north-east over the Pit Tip Plantation. A Kingfisher flew upstream under the Vehicle Bridge, and an adult and 2nd-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull were on the lake at the north end. At least two Willow Tit at Leen Pastures and, from the top of the Quarry, a single Common Buzzard was soaring over the fields at Broad Valley.

Quick Pit Tip

Single Sparrowhawk hunting over Pit Tip, with single Green Woodpecker and a group of ten Meadow Pipit on the Pit Tip Grassland. No sign of yesterday's Stonechat - the heavy rain has probably moved it on.

Stonechat

Spent the day volunteering with the rangers. Before starting I walked around the Pit Tip Plantation and had a flock of at least 195 Goldfinch feeding in alder near the Pit Tip Pond. At lunchtime there was a singing male Chiffchaff at the entrance to the Quarry. At the end of the day I walked around the Pit Tip again and had three Stock Dove drinking at the Pit Tip Pond, then Steve called to say he'd just got onto a Stonechat that Norman had found near Dawson's Corner Conservation Area, so I legged it down there to connect with the bird. I could make it out at distance, but it flushed as I got nearer. Steve left, and I waited it out in the grass opposite the fence where it was last seen. After around five minutes it reappeared - a female or first winter male - and I managed some decent photos, before leaving as the sun was setting.

A Little Buzzing

Another morning's walk around the Pit Tip before work, only produced one notable sighting. A Common Buzzard was perched on a fence post of the temporary horse fence in Dawson's Corner Horse Paddock at 07:45. The bird appeared to be looking for prey on the ground when it was flushed by horses. After flying to another post, it was again flushed by the horses and flew up into one of the surrounding trees. It was then mobbed by a Magpie and flew towards the far (SW) corner of the field where it was lost from view. To date, this is the only perched buzzard I've encountered within the park's recording area. Another Common Buzzard flew low over Warren Hill and north over the woodland around Ludgate Close at approximately 4:30pm.

In the Making

A quick morning walk around the Pit Tip Grasslands with my daughter was much the same as yesterday, with four Green Woodpecker, several Meadow Pipit, Jay and Goldfinch. A single Barn Swallow flew low over the Grasslands, and two groups of Pied Wagtail (nine and six birds) flew low south over the Pit Tip Top around 7:15am.

Greylag Flock

A short Pit Tip walk this morning produced a late Barn Swallow over to the south, several Meadow Pipit and Skylark passing through, and a group of five low-flying Pied Wagtail to the south west. A Chiffchaff was singing again, and a flock of forty seven Greylag Goose were flying low, southwards along the Leen Valley.

Autumn Arrives

Teal were in good numbers this morning, with at least twelve at the north end of lake, and smaller groups at the southern end. The first Shoveler of the Autumn (and a year tick) was an eclipse male at the south end, and three Common Snipe were showing on Mud Island. Amongst the 120 or so Black-headed Gull on the water at the north end of the lake was an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull in winter plumage, the first I've ever seen on the lake. It remained throughout the early morning, but had gone by 9:30am.

At least two Kingfisher were present, with a single flying between perches at the north end of the lake, and one bird was being chased up stream by another at Kingfisher Corner. A female Bullfinch was on the ground near Willow Pools, and exactly twenty five Lapwing were in Morris's Field with groups of Black-headed Gull and Jackdaw.

Warblers were still lingering and singing with three Blackcap feeding in elder at Dawson's Corner, Chiffchaff at the Reedbed Boardwalk, and late Willow Warbler at both Leen Pastures and Bestwood Quarry Plateaux. A Willow Tit and a charm of Goldfinch were also at Leen Pastures, and a female Sparrowhawk was on Biffa Bank at the Quarry.

At the Ferny Wood Viewpoint, at least six Common Buzzard were seen soaring in two groups of three high to the north that later joined together to form a group of six. At 1:45pm at least two Common Buzzard were very high over Warren Hill - one being a dark morph adult bird.

Lucky Charm

Another Pit Top visit before work produced much of the same species typically seen in the area. This included a resident Meadow Pipit flock of around ten birds, flyover Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull (N and ESE respectively), a female Sparrowhawk hunting around the Plantation, and at least four Green Woodpecker - including two juveniles. At Dawson's Corner, a female Blackcap was seen feeding in the alders by the west entrance gate, and on my way to the bus stop a single group of at least sixty Goldfinch were seen just south of the Pit Tip.

Standing Room Only

A pretty dismal morning bird-wise. Barely nothing moving over the Pit Tip, so headed to Lamin's Lane, and got more of nothing. Can't complain about the sunny calm weather, but it has a tendency to be bad for birding! Highlight was a pair of juvenile Common Pheasant stood - yes stood - on a metal gate along Lamin's Lane. Would of made a great photo, but I wasn't quick enough and just caught the second one falling off.

Vis. Mig. Again

Yet more vis. mig. this morning before work, but notably reduced movements. Most of the usual suspects sticking around on the Pit Tip. A small Meadow Pipit passage SSW, with only a handful sticking on the Grassland. The most notable movements were hirundines, as a dozen Barn Swallow were hawking insects over the Pit Tip Top with twenty House Martin, and a forty of the latter high over to the south in one group.

Vis. Mig. Hit

Another try at vis. migging on this Pit Tip this morning proved slightly more successful with two Sand Martin low over heading south, and singles of Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff stuck down. Good numbers of Meadow Pipit were moving with a fairly decent fortyish birds on the Grassland and another ten straight over south. Also of note were a female Sparrowhawk being mobbed by two Magpie in the Plantation, a single Kestrel hunting low over the Pit Tip Top, a juvenile Green Woodpecker alarm calling from the Planatation, and my first Skylark since they stopped singing.

Vis. Mig. Miss

Very poor vis. mig. over the Pit Tip before work this morning, with little but a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gull passing over. On the deck there were 11 Meadow Pipit, and late singing males of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler(!). At Ferny Wood, at least three Sparrowhawk were seen distantly from the watchpoint 'playing' over Crimea Wood.

Mill Lakes Juveniles

This morning at the Mill Lakes an adult Great Crested Grebe was fishing together with the large juvenile in the middle part of the lake and three juvenile Moorhen were along the bank of reeds near Mud Island.

Pit Tip Juveniles

Around the Pit Tip this morning a juvenile Willow Warbler was seen at the Pit Tip Plantation, and an adult Sparrowhawk was hunting over the Cow Fields. At Dawon's Corner a juvenile Green Woodpecker was perched at the top of a hawthorn and at least two Common Whitethroat juveniles were seen together near the footbridge.

Kestrel Family 2009

This morning I equalled my highest species count set back in May 2007, with 53 species being recorded. Starting at Dawson's Corner with a male Sparrowhawk hunting and a singing male Willow Warbler. At the Mill Lakes a Reed Warbler was seen near the Reedbed Boardwalk, and the Great Crested Grebe pair had a large streaky juvenile in tow. There were at least eight Gadwall, six Teal (including a juvenile near Mud Island), and a single female or juvenile Pochard near Long Island. Singles of Cormorant, Bullfinch and Yellowhammer were also welcome additions to the day list.

At Leen Pastures, a single dark morph Common Buzzard flew up from Golf Course Plantation, over the Railway Embankment, then headed SE over Leen Pastures in the direction of Bestwood Quarry. A single Herring Gull was heading south, whilst three Stock Dove were on the Golf Course. A Common Whitethroat was on the Railway Embankment, and a walk along it to the northern end produced a single Meadow Pipit, and later a family of Pied Wagtail feeding together on Golf Course.

Heading south back down the railway line, I located the resident Kestrel family, with the adult female first seen on the ground near a bunker, being joined by an adult male hunting around the Plantation. Both flew to the ground in the South Pasture to attend to at least two young that were calling from the grass. On the way back another Kestrel was hunting over Broad Valley Paddocks and a group of seven Tree Sparrow flew over from the direction of the Quarry. A great morning!

A Summer's Evening

Highlights from a summer's evening visit to the Mill Lakes were a female Mallard with eight newly-fledged young. Two Cormorant flushed and circled the lake before heading SSE. Three juvenile Grey Heron were stood together on Tern Island. On the way home a Kestrel was seen distantly over Bestwood Quarry, and a male Yellowhammer was in the hedgerow at Parkside Pasture.

Variety Morning

A decent morning started at Dawson's Corner with a juvenile Common Whitethroat with an adult, and two Sand Martin hawking insects over the Horse Paddock. At the Mill Lakes a male Ruddy Duck was near Willow Island, a Little Grebe was near Tern Island, an adult Great Crested Grebe still on the nest, and a juvenile Grey Heron was on the bank opposite the Dipping Pond Viewpoint. A mixed tit flock at Willow Pools held a family party of Willow Tit and a single Goldcrest. My first Grey Wagtail of the year flushed from the north end of lake when a dog entered the water. Many warblers have begun singing again.

Buttermothing

Nothing of particular note in this morning's quick walk around the Pit Tip Top. Butterflies and moths were the main attraction. There's an apparent increase in the number of Meadow Pipit pairs compared to recent years, though. My first ever Five-spot Burnet moths, Large Skipper and Ringlet butterflies were the highlights.

Cuckoo Twitch

After hearing about the Cuckoo seen on the Pit Tip the previous morning, it had to be worth a try, having had no other records this year. A couple of gulls were moving over the Pit Tip with two single Black-headed Gull moving low over to the west, and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull also over to the west. Walking over the main ride over the crown of the Pit Tip Top a relatively large bird flushed from the ride, and flew low over the grassland before disappearing to view towards the main Pit Tip Plantation. Despite the brief views, it was definitely a Cuckoo, and the orange/buff plumage I noted suggests it was a female or juvenile. Also of note was a single male Pheasant heard calling from the middle of the Pit Tip Grassland

Family Walk at Mill Lakes

A late morning walk with the family to the Mill Lakes on a very bright and arm morning produced plenty of opportunities for the kids to see some of this year's young. A family of Carrion Crow - an adult with four juveniles - were feeding on the Picnic Area as we arrived. At the end of the Peninsula, a group of Canada Goose had at least three yojng, and two adopted juvenile Greylag Goose with them. The Mute Swan family arrived to see if we had any food - the pair having three young. I counted at least seventy Canada Goose - impressive numbers. A single male Teal was by Mud Island, and an adult Great Crested Grebe was seen on the nest, as was a Coot. Other birds of note were a single Grey Heron in the trees on the opposite bank to the Dipping Ponds, a male Bullfinch, and the ever-present male Garden Warbler singing from its usual tree on Willow Island.

Batting by the Home Side

An evening walk to the Mill Lakes produced very little, as it was so late by the time I arrived. There had been a thunderstorm earlier in the evening, and good numbers of Common Swift were hawking insects over the lake. Little Owl was seen in the usual location, and no less than nine Mistle Thrush were feeding in Broad Valley's East Paddock and gathering on the overhead wires. Around the Miller's End area of the Pit Tip, three Pipistrelle bat were seen following a regular route alongside the edge of the woodland - predictable enough for the odd photo.

Cygnet Arrival

This morning was my first walk in over a week. Both Common Whitethroat and Willow Warbler were still holding territory at two locations on the Pit Tip. Good numbers of the larger wildfowl were present at the Mill Lakes with around forty Greylag Goose, and sixty Canada Goose on the lake. The single Mute Swan has been joined by another two adults - one with four cygnets. Singles of Gadwall, Teal, and Ruddy Duck were at the north end. A single Sand Martin was hawking insects over the lake, a pair of Coot were with two larger young, and another adult was still on its nest. Singles of Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler were heard singing.

A pair of Mistle Thrush were in the Spinney Field with a group of Starling. The Little Owl was seen again on a fence post, and then on the hedgerow. A male Kestrel was perched near the entrance to the Quarry, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was still drumming around the Old Rectory, and a male Barn Swallow was singing from the wires there too.

Quarrying Butterflies

My daughter has been asking to see what the quarry looks like since the end of last summer, and I've been waiting for a bit of good weather for us both to walk there. This morning we walked there and enjoyed seeing lots of butterflies, including good numbers of Common Blue, and the odd Speckled Wood on the woodland walk there. She has taken a few decent photos on her digital camera ready to go in her Nature Diary. We walked to the very back of the quarry to admire the view, which she was very impressed by. She saw her first Green Woodpecker - two in fact - and a pair of Linnet, but wasn't quite fast enough to catch the shy pink birds (Jay).

Patch Double Twitch

Last night there was a report of two good birds from the park. Both would be patch ticks for me. The first was of two Yellow Wagtail, and the second of a Little Owl. I set off early to try and relocate them before work. The first notable sighting came from near the Adventure Playground, where I could see a group of five Lesser Black-backed Gull flying high over Parkside Pasture/Broad Valley at approximately 6am.

On reaching the reported location there was no sign of any wagtail species, so I checked the nearby field too, before returning to the original location. I heard a wagtail flight call, and only just managed to locate it before it disappeared. I looked pale buff in the early morning light, but the call was similar to Pied Wagtail, so no luck there. As I approached the northern corner of the field, a small stocky bird flew up from the grass onto the fence post. It was the Little Owl.

I approached cautiously, and managed to get some record shots, before it flew up onto a nearby electricity pylon. This provided me with a much better view, and allowed me to get much closer. After watching me for several minutes, the bird flew over into a nearby Oak, allowing a nice flight view. When I left the area, I could see the bird return to the pylon to scour the ground for food again.

Before heading home, I had a quick look around Bestwood Quarry, seeing a few warblers, a Green Woodpecker, a pair of Bullfinch, a male Linnet, and a handful of photogenic butterflies. On leaving the area I picked up a single Black-headed Gull in summer plumage flying west over Broad Valley towards Mill Lakes. Now Yellow Wagtail takes the place of Little Owl on my list of patch bogey birds.

Guided Walk - Spring 2009

This morning I gave a guided walk around the Mill Lakes for the Friends of Bestwood Country Park. At the Pit Tip Plantation a single Common Tern flew over heading NE at 6am, and a Brown Hare was by the Small Conservation Area. At the lake, a single Shelduck remained, and the Ruddy Duck pair were still present. Before the guided walk I did my usual route and stocked up the feeding station in hope of attracting some Willow Tit for the guided group to see. The clear blue skies and sunshine had plenty of warblers singing, including a couple of Reed Warbler on the Reedbed, and Garden Warbler in its usual Willow Island spot, plus one singing on the Peninsula. A pair of Grey Partridge were on the Golf Course with three more Brown Hare. Whilst waiting for the group to arrive a Pied Wagtail was feeding in the grass around the notice board.

Only two people turned up for the walk, so we didn't follow the whole of the intended route, missing out the Leen Pastures stretch. The Shelduck had departed, but the most of the other birds stuck around to be seen and heard by the group. At the Heron Viewpoint we were treated to a group of large fish swimming very close to the bank in the shallows and giving some great views. Other wildlife of note, was a migrant Painted Lady butterfly before the group arrived, and a Striped Millipede as we walked back home via the main site.

Duck Pairs

At Mill Lakes this morning, two male Shelduck were the highlight, with a pair of Ruddy Duck being a close second. Two male Gadwall were also on the lake. The male Garden Warbler on Willow Island was holding territory, and at least two singing male Reed Warbler were near the Reedbed Boardwalk with another oddly singing from the small patch of reeds between Grassy Bank and Mud Island. A pair of Tree Sparrow were in the hedgerow along the Spinney Path.

Breeding Survey by Bike

Had a long cycle around the park with the bins and camera this morning. First up was the Mill Lakes where both Greylag Goose and Canada Goose have reared young. The Gadwall were still around, and it appears the Grey Heron have chosen a new nest site this year. A few Common Swift were high over the lake, and a single Barn Swallow was hawking insects over Leen Pastures.

Blackcap were singing all over the place today, and Lapwing were in 'good' numbers, with four at Broad Valley, north of the East Paddock, and eight adults and a single brood of four young in Killarney View Field. Lamin's Lane also had singing Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Skylark and Chaffinch. Tree Sparrow weren't hard to find either.

Good, Bad, and Great News

My morning walk to the Mill Lakes was a good one, with a few year ticks in the form spring migrants. A group of four Common Tern flew south-west over Leen Pastures, lingering for a few minutes over the Golf Course before heading west. A pair of Gadwall were still on the lake, a Great Crested Grebe was on its nest and, yet again, a Common Snipe flushed from the Dipping Ponds Boardwalk. Load of Common Whitethroat have arrived, with singing males at Dawson's Corner and all along the Railway Line. As I headed off, two Common Swift were hawking insects over the lake, and a single Red-legged Partridge was in Spinney Field. The downside of my morning was encountering two sets of poachers, at Leen Pastures and in the woodland near Bestwood Lodge, but I won't dwell on the bad.

At home in the afternoon, a quick glance from one of the bedroom windows and I glimpsed a medium-large raptor drifting low east to west over the woodland - it was a Red Kite! The bird was gliding rather than actively flapping its wings. Viewing through bins initially showed a reddy-brown plumage, then the pale head and wing markings could be seen when the bird banked left and right. These movements also revealed the strongly fanned V-shaped tail. After getting some record shots, the bird had changed direction and started gaining height over the Big Wood School area before it drifted off very high to the south-eat in the direction of Arnold.

Pit Tip Brace

A quick visit to the Mill Lakes before work turned up a pair of Grey Partridge on the Pit Tip, and the Starling flock remained as on my last visit. At the lake, the eleven or twelve Greylag Goose youngsters were being heavily guarded by their parents at the Vehicle Bridge and a male Gadwall was by Willow Island. A Common Snipe alarm called as it flushed from the Dipping Ponds Viewpoint, and a Treecreeper was on one of the tree stumps in the Dipping Ponds Conservation Area.

Singing Goldcrest

This morning I recorded four Willow Warbler territories on the Pit Tip Top - two new, and two known. Around fifty Starling were feeding on the Pit Tip Grassland, with birds making regular visits from direction of Front Line and nearby housing estates. I suspect they are returning to nesting sites with food. Highlight of the morning was a singing male Goldcrest in the Woodland.

Tawny Morning

Highlight of the morning was my first decent sighting of a Tawny Owl in Lodge Gardens. A few Blackbird were alarm calling, and a Song Thrush joined in two. Just as I'd come to the conclusion it must be a Tawny Owl, it flew out of a tree being chased by the thrushes. The chase went from tree to tree, before the owl settled near the top of a tall holly-like tree, in a spot that permitted a reasonably good view of the bird. Nothing much else to note. Four Nuthatch, a couple of Great Spotted Woodpecker, and Skylark, Meadow Pipit and a Brown Hare on the Pit Tip Top.

Nest-building Nuthatches

A quick woodland walk this morning produced a couple of drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, two singing male Blackcap, a singing male Willow Warbler, and a pair of Nuthatch preparing a nest hole, by padding the inside of an oversized entrance hold with mud.

Hirundinidae Arrival

The main highlights today were the new arrivals, with a pair of Common Whitethroat at Dawson's Corner being the only new warbler, and all three hirundines hawking insects over the Mill Lakes. Sand Martin and Barn Swallow were the more numberous, with one or two House Martin thrown in too. Other than those, a single juvenile Cormorant was on a tree stump offshore of Mallard Island, a single Common Snipe was seen by Mud Island when it was flushed by a dog. A Sparrowhawk was being mobbed by a corvid at Mill Lakes, with another seen soaring high above Bluebell Hollow towards the end of the morning.

More Movers

A very respectable 47 species recorded during this morning's walk to the Mill Lakes, Leen Pastures, and Bestwood Quarry. A male and female Gadwall were still present with on Mill Lakes, with a solid count of nine Teal. A single Little Grebe was at the south end, and the Great Crested Grebe pair were doing their courtship dance again. At least two Common Snipe were by Mud Island, and a Treecreeper gathering nesting material at Leen Pastures.

Return migrants were represented by four Blackcap, over ten Chiffchaff, five Willow Warbler, and the first Barn Swallow of the year was a single over Leen Pastures, with further birds over the lake and Moor Road later.

A pair of Sparrowhawk were seen displaying over the woodland from the Quarry, and around ten Linnet were seen on the banks. A single male Siskin was on the peanut feeder of the garden between Hatton and Gerard Close Entrances - obviously a late returner.

Pole Position

This morning's highlights from a trip to the Mill Lakes and Bestwood Quarry were 3 Gadwall, 5 Teal, a Kestrel perched on flag pole on the Golf Course, a Common Snipe near Mud Island, 2 Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, a Leen Pastures Coal Tit, 3 Nuthatch, and a pair of Bullfinch.

Pit Tip Tick

A surprise year tick along the Grassland side of Miller's End Conservation Area this morning was a single Red-legged Partridge walking along path that runs along the hedgerow. It entered the conservation area before reaching Dunvegan Gate. Also on the Pit Top were about eight Skylark, with a further two seen by the Wet Flush in Farmer Fox's Cow Field. The pasture around the flush also held a flock of 11 Meadow Pipitwith two showy birds up on the perimeter fence.

Ringed Nuthatch

Nothing really that notable in a short walk this morning. Three Meadow Pipit were on the Warren side of the Pit Tip Grassland, and included male displaying. Two singing male Chiffchaff were heard - one at Hanging Heath and one at Three Ponds. A Nuthatch by the Gerard Close Entrance had a metal ring on its right leg - probably one the rangers have rung.

Spot the Difference

Highlight of the morning was undoubtedly relocating the leucistic Nuthatch around the Gerard Close entrance, and managing to photograph it. I had found this bird previously in the Wildlife Garden back at the end of November 2008. It lacks a black eyestripe, and has washed-out colouring (both blue and orange/buff) over the rest of its plumage.

Also of note were 3 singing male Chiffchaff, 2 Green Woodpecker prospecting a nest hole, and a brief sighting of a Sparrowhawk along the woodland border of Warrenhill Plantation. After the FoBCP meeting in the evening, I ticked my first Tawny Owl of the year with a singing male in Lodge Woods.

First Spring Arrivals

Today's highlights included a group of six Herring Gull high WNW over Dawson's Corner at dawn, whilst at Mill Lakes there were 3 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, 8+ Common Snipe, an adult Common Gull, and 2 Lesser Redpoll with 6 Siskin at Willow Pools. A Chiffchaff was heard in subsong nearby, and another (possibly the same bird) was seen later in full song at Leen Pastures Feeding Station.

Redwing were passing through, with 25 NNE over the Pit Tip Top at dawn, and at least 15 in trees on North Island before flying off north. A pair of Reed Bunting were along the railway line, and two Lapwing were in the field to the north of Broad Valley. A pair of Stock Dove were at Bestwood Quarry, where three to five Linnet were on Biffa Bank.

Duelling Green Woodpeckers

This morning's walk around the Pit Tip Top and nearby woodland allowed me to witness a fairly rare and secretive event - the display of two male Green Woodpecker. The pair of males were calling around the Small Conservation Area; the first male was perched on top of a fencepost calling, before the other male responded. The first male then proceeded to sway its head and body from side to side, and the other bird flew onto the other side of the post to join it, but in an apparently submissive position, lower down the post. The first bird then slowly lent over the top of the post to the far side, bringing its bill together with the other bird's and retracted it again. This bill movement was repeated several times and, if I recall correctly, was interspersed with the dominant bird calling. An event I feel privelidged to have witnessed.

Also on the Pit Top, several Skylark were singing, and a Song Thrush was singing from the Warren Woodland. Along the path behind Warren Hill were two or three singing Nuthatch, two drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Magpie nest building near the Triangle. A pair of Stock Dove were sat in the dead oak at the top of Ted Heath, but flew off before I could get a decent photo. Other than the birds, a Red Fox was in the western edge of the Pit Tip Plantation, many Common Frog and spawn were in Shopping Trolley Pond, and Three Ponds, and a Brown Rat was amongst the builder's materials in Big Wood School Field.