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.