Three new patch birds

Despite the weather, the morning started well with a Skylark in full song over my house in Newark, drifting north. Collingham was a bit quiet again, with few duck now on Ferry Lane Lake. However, there were five new Whooper Swans, bringing their total to 6, in the field west of Ferry Lane Lake amongst 82 Mute Swans , and a pair of Ringed Plovers on the Silt Lagoon (with a Roe Deer in the field opposite).

Two of the six Whooper Swans at Collingham Pits

Roe Deer at Collingham Pits

Mons Pool hosted 8 Shelduck, 2 Oystercatchers and single Redshank and Little Egret. Still with some time before hockey, I decided to have a look at Besthorpe Warren. As I trudged across the site in the drizzle, I wondered what I was actually hoping to see, but then added three new Patch Birding species in 15 minutes - a Jay, then the first of two Woodcock, and then two singing Mistle Thrushes. I was particularly pleased with the Woodcock as I was beginning to think I'd missed this species, for this half of the year at least.