All of Jan and the start of Feb

Its been a steady start to 2019 on the patch; Smew and Great White Egret lingered from 2018, but a Raven over Mons Pool on 27th was a species that eluded me last year. Both Jack Snipe and Woodcock gave themselves up without too much trouble (the former on Ferry Lane Lake, the latter at Parish Field). A whopping 105 Pochard held a Red-crested Pochard at the end of the month, and Wigeon numbers built up to around 340, although Tufted Duck numbers remained low - making the chances of finding a Lesser Scaup a bit of a long shot. I finished the month on a modest 78 species, with plenty still to go at in February. 

Smew

GWE, with Little Egrets and Grey Herons

Away from the patch, I caught up with the Hooded Crow at Bothamsall on 25th, on my fifth attempt, and bagged the three Shorelarks at Langford Lowfields before work today, having been unable to do any birding over the weekend. Added to the Velvet Scoters in November, it has been a good run in Notts for county listers (one of whom I'm not...).

Hooded Crow

Visits to Cotham Landfill have been few and far between; the tip is getting increasingly difficult to view, and gull numbers have been unremarkable. This has been reflected by a lack of white-wingers in the roost at Hoveringham, and similarly low gull numbers. My best there was a 2cy Caspian Gull on 2nd.