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.