Colour-ringed Glauc - Part 3

Finally got round to reporting the colour-ringed Glauc from Cotham Landfill on the 27th Feb: apparently, it was most recently seen at Ogston Res in Derbyshire between 8th and 12th March (I'm not sure if it was seen anywhere else in the interim). Anyway, the colour-ringing has obviously served its purpose, illustrating how widely birds like this will roam. Good stuff.

A patch of purple

A Purple Sandpiper was found at Kilvington this morning - having lunch obligations with the in-laws, it wasn't until late afternoon that I managed to see it; it was showing well on the southern shoreline of the West Lake, allowing a few record shots to be obtained (a little better than yesterdays rubbish pictures of distant waders).

Purple Sandpiper at Kilvington Lakes

This is the fourteenth Purple Sand to be seen in the county, and follows one at Collingham Pits in November 2009 (which I didn't see). Interestingly, it is the first spring record; all the others have occurred between August and November, bar a summer record in 1864!

Also present was a Green Sand, 2 Ringed Plovers, at least 3 Redshank, and 2 Oystercatchers, but I couldn't find the Knot that had been present.

Spring has definately sprung

Seeing your first summer migrants is always a highlight of the birding year. For me, this came in the form of a Little Ringed Plover on the Main Pit at Collingham this morning. It was kept company by a Knot, 4 Ringed Plovers, 3 Green Sands, 8 Redshank and 3 Oystercatchers - not a bad little haul.

LRP at Collingham Pits

Knot at Collingham Pits

Nearby, there wasn't much to get excited about at Mons Pool (although 26 Shelduck was a good count), but my first singing Chiffchaff of the year in the trees along the southern boundary was nice.

I then tried Girton. Again, not a huge amount; I spent around 40 minutes listening for last week's Cetti's Warbler without success (has it moved on, or was it just keeping quiet?), but was rewarded with a noisy little group of 4 Willow Tits - having failed to see any at this site so far this year I was beginning to fear the worst, but good to know they're still around; this is now a scare bird in the Trent Valley. Finally, 3 Pink-feet with the Greylags on the Trent rounded off the morning; presumably the same three that were here in February.

Cetti's at Girton

My WeBS count at Girton didn't throw up anything too unexpected in terms of wildfowl today (although there's definately been an influx of Oystercatchers, with at least 6 birds present). The highlight was in fact a singing Cetti's Warbler - a first for the site. I'm going to keep it's precise location under wraps as this is still a rare birds in Notts; up to 2007 there had only been eight records, with the first confirmed breeding in the county at Attenborough that year. Locally, the first turned up in November 2009 at Langford Lowfields (where they remain, and presumably breed), and there was also a bird singing temporarily at Balderton Lake in 2010, so it looks like they may be consolidating their toe hold at this end of the Trent Valley.

Colour-ringed Little Egret

With only a half day at work today, I cruised home via Kilvington Lakes. There wasn't a huge amount there, although the West Lake held a pair of Egyptian Geese, two Ringed Plovers, and a single Oystercatcher, with a pair of Goosander on the East Lake. A kick round the 'Snipe Ponds' produced one Common Snipe, but no Jacks.

I popped home briefly, and had a superb Peregrine over the house - the first I've ever seen in Newark itself - before heading to Spalford Warren. There's been a Mealy Redpoll seen here on the feeders recently, but I could only find two Lesser Redpolls.

A quick drive along Trent Lane at Girton to scan in the hope of an early hirundine was fruitless, so Collingham Pits was next; there was little on the Main Pit, but 2 Little Egrets were on the Silt Lagoon; one of these was colour-ringed, with a yellow ring on its right leg marked 'V' and an orange ring on its left leg marked 'U'. This format was used on a number of birds that turned up here last summer, which had been ringed as nestlings that spring near North Sommercotes in Lincolnshire, so this was presumably one of these birds; however, I'll hopefully be able to confirm this.

Colour-ringed Little Egret at Collingham Pits

Mons Pool was quieter than last visit, although there was a gang of 10 Redshank and a Curlew, and another 2 Little Egrets, plus a very confiding Kestrel.

Kestrel at Mons Pool

Catching up with a Kittiwake

I was tipped off this morning by Carl that Robin Brace had found two adult Kittiwakes on the Main Pit at Collingham Pits. Being a species I've not seen in Notts before, work came to a finish a bit early so I could head up that way.

Arriving at about 1630, there was no sign of them on the Main Pit, or the Silt Lagoon. However, Mons Pool came up with the goods - a single adult Kittiwake was lurking amongst the 40 or so Black-headed Gulls present. Presumably one of the birds from Collingham this morning, but the other one must have done a bunk. I watched it on and off for the next forty minutes or so; it seemed quite unsettled, flying up and circling around several times, and frequently changing its position amongst the other gulls as the numbers of Black-heads slowly built up. 

Kittiwake at Mons Pool

Aside from the Kittiwake, a quick scan of the site revealed 11 Redshank and 2 Ringed Plovers - the site is looking good for spring wader passage, and a good bet for the first LRP of the year over the next few weeks! 

A quick call-in at Cotham

After a lie-in, I didn't have much time before hockey, so headed towards Cotham. The gulls weren't readily accessible today, so I had a quick look at Cotham Flash (now with a little water in it). The only things of note were 3 Ringed Plovers in the field immediately south of the flash - apparently a male (displaying) and two females. Definately a sign of spring! Hopefully they'll stay and breed.