A birdy weekend

I decided that, due to other weekends coming up being pretty busy, that last weekend would probably be my best chance to get out to Rufford Park to see the Hawfinches, always easiest at this time of year, especially as every man and his dog are out year-ticking them so plenty of reports come in, confirming their presence. I headed up to join the year-tickers, getting to the car-oark at about 08:15, a little later than i'd hoped, but luckily I wasnt too late. I walked down to the abbey end of the lime-tree avenue, to get a view of the trees from the lawn, rather than stand around the carpark side, and literally within a few minutes, 3 dark shapes appeared atop one of the trees. A nice easy view of the Hawfinches, and much better views of them than I managed last winter. I had a little wander round the woodland and lake, picking up a few easy year-ticks in the form Goosander, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Jay and Treecreeper. What was more unexpected was the distinctive wheeze of a Brambling, heard from somewhere overhead whilst I was staking out for LSW (which didnt show).

Tame Nuthatch - Rufford

Robin, Rufford

I left the park about 10 and headed slightly north, to check out the gulls at the pig fields near Ollerton, as a few Casps has been seen of late. A scan in one field off Whitewater Lane revealed about 2000 gulls, mostly BHG, but with good numbers of common gulls, but not many large gulls at all. I drove back to the layby and parked there, and walked up to an empty field which held a good few thousand gulls in it. There were slightly more large gulls here, but nothing that remotely looked casp, but again it was mostly small gulls and again decent numbers of common gulls. A scan round the pig sheds failed to produce anything either, Definitely a site worth keeping an eye on though, I just wish it were closer to home.

On the way home, I stopped at Arnot Hill Park in Arnold to try for the reported Firecrest, but despite finding a large mixed flock, I failed to find it.

I was busy chainsawing trees all morning Sunday, down on the patch, so didnt get to have a proper look round, but did drop in just before dark later on for a wander round. There were a lot of gulls knocking around Blotts Pit, including an interesting looking large gull with a clean white head and what looked like a dark eye, making me think Casp, however, after grilling it for some time, I decided it just didn't tick the right boxes and made me lean more towards an adult YLG. Other than that, there were decent wildfowl numbers, but nothing new for the year.

Goosanders, Rufford