Bestwood 22nd may

Continuing the heatwave weekend, i went to Bestwood country park for the first time since i saw a firecrest there in february. it was pretty busy today so a lot of the birds were heard but not seen but i still had a good day.

started off at the butlers hill tram stop and walked up to leen pastures - saw around 20 house sparrows in the bushes and there were several singing blackcap. not much in the woods aside from a few singing chiffchaff and willow warbler as well as a jay feeding in the copse near the feeding station. saw my first damselfly of the year too, think its a common blue.

mill lakes was very busy but managed to see a bit. more blackcaps were singing, and a willow warbler was seen feeding in the trees on one of the islands. watched a coot brutally pecking a fish to death, surrounded by its blood too! grisly. no sign of the pink footed goose (would have been a lifer) but the mandarin was there, thinking it was a gosling, its pretty much the same size as them now. several swifts over the lake too.

walking through to the pit tip, there were more willow warblers, and 3 whitethroats were seen too. up on the pit tip there were lots of willow warblers (!) in the plantations, 3 stock dove drinking at the puddle. lots of starlings over the pit tip, around 10 meadow pipit, and 2 skylark. saw a small heath butterfly too, a new one for me.

a good day in all, it was nice to be back at the park and will definately be back, maybe on a quieter day though.