Quality early Spring birding

With some leave to use up, I had yesterday afternoon off work, and after running an errand in town, headed to Collingham. What was a steady visit came good at the end; I'd been thinking about Kittiwakes, and was had been checking the few gulls that were around. As I was heading off later afternoon, I noted a group of small gulls dropping into Ferry Lane Lake. I had a quick scan, and bingo, there was a Kittiwake - very nice too! The group didn't seem to settle, taking flight several times, before eventually the whole loot flew off east. My first patch Kittiwake in four years of patching. Added to this was my first Grey Wagtail of the year as I was watching the Kittiwake, and then a flock of 95 Whooper Swans which flew over heading north. 

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Today, and I too Sorrel Lyall and her grandparents looking for Woodlarks on Budby Heath. After a worryingly quiet start, we eventually pinned down a singing male, and then had another displaying overhead, which was joined by its mate. We also tracked down the Black Oil Beetles (see here). On to Welbeck, and we had decent views of a male Goshawk flapping around from the Raptor Watchpoint, and then a Red Kite, plus a pair of Mandarins back at the feeder layby. So not a bad morning at all. 

Black Oil Beetle

It was back to Collingham for the afternoon, where a Great Northern Diver was on Ferry Lane Lake (no doubt the Girton bird), but no sign of the Smew; my third patch yeartick in 24 hours, putting me on 99 for the year... A singing Chiffchaff at Mons Pool was my first of the year, and put a smile on my face. 

Tigers in Sherwood

As part of work yesterday, I had a good look at the haul road unit of Clipstone Heath SSSI; this is an old sandstone cutting, with some nice heathy vegetation and plenty of exposed substrate. 

Clipstone Heath SSSI - haul road unit

Now, I'm not good (at all) at invertebrates, with the possible exception of butterflies, but there seemed to be plenty of interest at the site, and even I couldn't fail to ID the Green Tiger Beetles - very striking creatures. 

Green Tiger Beetle

Other things I managed to ID were several Pill Millipedes, and a distinctive spider called Pardosa saltans. Bird-wise, fly-over Swallow and my first singing Tree Pipit of the year were best. 

Pill Millipedes

Pardosa saltans

Back home, I photo'd a jumping spider in my garden, with mixed success, which I reckon is the Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus. As always, Trevor Pendleton's Eakring Birds website comes in useful for ID tasks of this nature!

Zebra Spider