Patchwork begins

I've had a couple of proper sessions down the patch so far this year, and a few others where I've been doing other stuff (while keeping an eye/ear out of course).

My first proper session was on Saturday the 10th, and it was nice to get started with some patch regulars, and its always nice for the first session as every bird is a tick! I finished the day with 34 species which was a pretty poor total for the site but I was pressed for time so couldn't get everywhere. The highlight was certainly 2 Treecreeper in the skylarks reserve with a tit flock. A whole year went by without me seeing one of these and then i get 2 on my first visit of 2015.
     Otherwise a few Goldeneye and some Grey Wags were nice on the rowing course, as well as a Tufty which i thought was a good candidate for a young male Scaup. Upon getting home and having a look at the picture more closely however, the faintest tuft was present as well as a fat black nail on its bill tip. A Song Thrush seen on the way home was nice too, not seen one for a while.

The next day I was with the ringing group, clearing some scrub from the reed-bed where we ring in the summer. A nice day and I was hoping for Cetti's and Water Rail from the reeds, but it wasn't to be. A nice flock of 40 or so Lesser Redpolls was nice, and a Kestrel and Buzzard made an appearance too.

On the 17th, I covered most of the site in around 3 hours, picking up some more patch regulars. Another feral Barnacle Goose has turned up with the canadas, seen on the Trent near the sailing club. I thought it was the same bird as last January but upon comparing photos, it looks like a totally different bird.

This years Barny

   

Last years Barny... not as much white on face and bigger bill

Wildfowl were a little thin on the ground on Blotts, as they have been most of the winter. No wigeon or gadwall, and only a handful of Goldeneye and Tuftys. A flock of 25 Pochard was good though. On the new islands and wader scrapes were around 500 Black-headed gulls, with a few Commons and Herrings thrown in, but nothing more exciting than that.

Great Tit at Blotts.

 

   A distant scan of the A52 pit resulted in a big flock of wigeon and a Little Egret, but no Smew, though apparently 6 have been knocking about.
     On my way back I was banking on getting a few more easy ticks in the form of Rook and Fieldfare on the fields opposite to the football pitches. I managed the Fieldfare but weirdly no rooks which is very odd. I did however get a singing Greenfinch for my efforts (scarce on patch!) and a nice Mistle thrown in with the thrushes.