This probably looked rather odd to anyone sober enough to notice. But of course, there could only be one thing that this chap was doing; a bird race! Our team "Not from Notts", comprising the welly-wearing Carl Cornish (CC), Jason Reece (JR), and myself (NC) - had decided to take part in the Notts Birder's organised NYD bird race. We had already ticked Tawny Owl in East Bridgford, using some good local knowledge from JR, and our target in Nottingham was, of course, Peregrine, but there was no sign of it...
After some faffing around at Budby Pumping Station Flash (where we encountered some other men acting strangely in the dark - who we soon left to carry on with whatever it was they were up to), and Sherwood Forest Country Park (where we risked broken angles on the skating-rink like paths in the vain hope of lamping a Woodcock), we arrived at our first proper site - Rufford Country Park.
Dawn crept across the carpark, and we waited eagerly for the appearance of our target species. And waited. And waited some more. We had amassed a decent list, including Lesser Redpoll and Siskin, before it finally appeared - a Hawfinch, sat up in the lime tree avenue. It was followed by a fly-over Peregrine - it was a relief to get this species under our belt after our failure earlier on. A quick look at the lake from the Mill end produced various wildfowl, including our first Goosander of the day.
Welbeck Raptor Watchpoint produced the hoped-for Marsh Tit on the feeders, and it was then on to Clumber Park, where the Ornamental Bridge came up trumps with 3 Mandarins, whilst Green Woodpecker and Jay also gave themselves up. It was then time to leave Sherwood - but incredibly, we had failed to see or hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker - a species which eluded us all day.
Gringley Carr was our next productive stop; it got off to a good start when CC picked up a ringtail Hen Harrier to the west of the road - our 65th species. Very nice! Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow and Grey Partridge were all found in close proximity to each other, whilst the Whooper Swans on Misterton Carr required a short walk to view.
Onwards to Lound, which proved to be a bit disappointing. Lesser Black-backed Gull and Water Rail were the only 'expected' species that we didn't see elsewhere, although 2 Ruff in the Walter's Farm sheepfields were definitely not expected, and provided some recompense for the absent Egyptian Geese. Lound Village produced our first House Sparrows of the day (number 80).
Heading back south, JR did well to pick out a small flock of Golden Plovers from the car in a field to the south of Retford - our only ones of the day, with most having abandoned the county following the recent snow.
A quick look at Girton Pits added Little Egret, and it was then on to Collingham Pits. NC's staked out Curlews and Little Owl and performed, but Green Sandpiper and a few other species did not. And so Langford Lowfields beckoned. Although rather a yomp around Phases 2 and 3, Redshank and Common Snipe quickly gave themselves up, and NC kicked a Jack Snipe up, bringing up 89 species. This was followed quickly by number 90 - a pair of Stonechats!
Having achieved the target we had set ourselves at the start of the day, we returned to the car. We decided to head towards Kilvington for a Red-crested Pochard, but by now it was getting on for 4pm and an overcast sky meant that dusk fell quickly. By the time we reached Newark, it was apparent that we were not going to get to Kilvington in time, so called it a day.
So what did we miss? Worst was the aforementioned Great Spotted Woodpecker, along with Red-legged Partridge. Other species we may reasonably have expected to see (and in some cases had staked out) were Egyptian Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail. We perhaps also could have jammed in on Bittern, Merlin and Woodcock with a bit more luck. A number of species may also be expected (or hoped for) in another year, such as Brambling, Chiffchaff and Waxwing - and maybe a smattering of scarcer wildfowl such as Scaup or Smew... the list goes on!
So, a good effort on our first attempt, and 90 species is seemingly a new county record. Having learnt a few lessons this year, and with a bit more luck, 95 would be possible; but could 100 ever be attainable? Only with a perfect run of commoner stuff and a lot of luck with some scarcities!
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| "Not from Notts" |
Complete list:
| Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus |
| Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Grey Heron Ardea cinerea |
| Little Egret Egretta garzetta |
| Mute Swan Cygnus olor |
| Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus |
| Greylag Goose Anser anser |
| Canada Goose Branta canadensis |
| Shelduck Tadorna tadorna |
| Wigeon Anas penelope |
| Gadwall Anas strepera |
| Teal Anas crecca |
| Mallard Anas platyrhynchos |
| Pintail Anas acuta |
| Shoveler Anas clypeata |
| Pochard Aythya ferina |
| Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula |
| Goldeneye Bucephala clangula |
| Goosander Mergus merganser |
| Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata |
| Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus |
| Buzzard Buteo buteo |
| Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus |
| Kestrel Falco tinnunculus |
| Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus |
| Grey Partridge Perdix perdix |
| Pheasant Phasianus colchicus |
| Moorhen Gallinula chloropus |
| Coot Fulica atra |
| Water Rail Rallus aquaticus |
| Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria |
| Lapwing Vanellus vanellus |
| Ruff Philomachus pugnax |
| Snipe Gallinago gallinago |
| Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus |
| Redshank Tringa totanus |
| Curlew Numenius arquata |
| Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus |
| Common Gull Larus canus |
| Herring Gull Larus argentatus |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus |
| Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus |
| Feral Pigeon Columba livia |
| Stock Dove Columba oenas |
| Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus |
| Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto |
| Barn Owl Tyto alba |
| Little Owl Athene noctua |
| Tawny Owl Strix aluco |
| Green Woodpecker Picus viridis |
| Skylark Alauda arvensis |
| Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis |
| Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba |
| Wren Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Dunnock Prunella modularis |
| Robin Erithacus rubecula |
| Stonechat Saxicola torquata |
| Blackbird Turdus merula |
| Fieldfare Turdus pilaris |
| Song Thrush Turdus philomelos |
| Redwing Turdus iliacus |
| Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus |
| Goldcrest Regulus regulus |
| Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus |
| Coal Tit Parus ater |
| Blue Tit Parus caeruleus |
| Great Tit Parus major |
| Marsh Tit Parus palustris |
| Nuthatch Sitta europaea |
| Treecreeper Certhia familiaris |
| Jay Garrulus glandarius |
| Magpie Pica pica |
| Jackdaw Corvus monedula |
| Rook Corvus frugilegus |
| Carrion Crow Corvus corone |
| Starling Sturnus vulgaris |
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus |
| Tree Sparrow Passer montanus |
| Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs |
| Greenfinch Carduelis chloris |
| Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis |
| Siskin Carduelis spinus |
| Linnet Carduelis cannabina |
| Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret |
| Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula |
| Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes |
| Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella |
| Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus |
| Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra |
No blackcap? That surprises me if I can see one in the middle of Newark
ReplyDeleteNo Blackcap..! A nice accessible one would've been good. Where are you seeing yours?
ReplyDelete