Spring is here!

Back to the 15th, and a morning spent doing some habitat works on the cyclepath at Cotham Landfill (to benefit Grizzled Skippers) gave great views of a Red Kite, which lingered most of the morning. Later that day, I called into Collingham Pits to find John Ellis watching two Black-necked Grebes - the first I've seen here since starting Patchwork Challenge in 2013. They were gone the following day. 

Black-necked Grebes

News of the Cattle Egret at Holme Pierrepont passed me by until the morning after its discovery, but being a Notts tick (not that I keep a Notts list...), I went to see it on Saturday. It was distant, and rather uninspiring. Still, I wouldn't mind finding one at Collingham. 

Cattle Egret (left)

Cattle Egret (left)

Over the weekend, the patch produced the first LRP (and my first proper spring migrant) of the year on the 18th on Mons Pool, along with 7 grounded Pink-feet in the field by the conveyor outfall. The following day I bagged 4 Sand Martins on Ferry Lane Lake (having dipped one there the day before), whilst the there were now 4 LRPs on Mons. It proved to be a good day for Patchwork Challenge, with my first patch Peregrine and Woodcock of the year, the latter flushed out of the woodland at Meering. 

LRP

Pinkies

Pinkie

 Today, and two Avocets were on the Silt Lagoon at Collingham, with 15 Sand Martins on Ferry Lane Lake. Earlier, driving through Southwell I encountered 11 Waxwings feeding in a cotoneaster adjacent to Palmers Court; always nice to find.