Summary

Our regular April visit to Strutt’s North Mill and Wyver Lane did not disappoint.  The day was dry and sunny, especially early on.  A Peregrine was conveniently perched in the sunshine below one of the curved balconies at the right end of the mill.  There was little to see around the weirs and even around the cottages at the top of the lane.  It was only at the end of our trip that a couple of Grey Wagtails were seen on the tarmac in front of the mill.

Further down Wyver Lane there was plenty to see and hear.  A few species were heard but not seen, including Raven, Green Woodpecker and Pheasant.  The Merlin app was useful in confirming some of the birdsong.  From the hide we could make out a Grey Heron, half-hidden in the reeds.  A pair of Mandarin Duck were grazing in one of the grass fields to the left as we walked down the lane.  The field boundary was wooded and a Song Thrush was spotted there, apparently attempting to sing, but no sound came out whenever it opened its beak.

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Summary

The Middleton Lakes RSPB reserve comprises a mosaic of wetlands, meadows and woodland in the Tame valley, near Tamworth.  The morning was cloudy with a few spots of rain but the cloud broke up and there were some brief sunny intervals in the afternoon.  Most of the group travelled there with Stewart Abbott of Derbyshire Bird Tours; others by car.  Parts of the reserve were quite muddy following the rain of recent months.

There was plenty of activity around the feeders near the entrance, including Greenfinch, Goldfinch and House Sparrow.  The heronry was busy too, with both Grey Heron and Little Egret present.  More noisy was the rookery a little further on.

A pair of Treecreepers were busy nest-building in a crevice behind bark that had partially peeled away from the trunk of a tree.   Their hard work was being partially negated by a Great Tit that was throwing out nest material stored in the same crevice.  A lone Red-breasted Goose (normally a winter visitor) was seen feeding among a flock of Canada Geese in a field and a Bittern was heard booming occasionally, hidden somewhere in the reeds.

Overall there was a good selection of species, though we were somewhat short on waders – perhaps because water levels in the lagoons were higher than usual.
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Summary

Attenborough Nature Reserve is extensive, situated on the northern bank of the River Trent and is managed by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.  The day was cloudy with occasional hints of the sun but not a breath of wind.

The highlight of the trip came towards the end of our visit when a Water Rail was first heard and then spotted quite close to the path.  For at least 3 of the group this was a first ever sighting. If the Reserve list of species seen was accurate, ours was the first sighting this month.

Previously we had good views of three birds from the heron family; both the Little and Great Egrets were perched with the yellow feet (often under water) of the Little Egret contrasting with its black legs.

The Swans were abundant, as were the Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe and Black-headed Gulls.  Noticeable by their absence were any raptors.

Members participating:    7 (for main session) + 2 (afternoon)

Bird list (38 species seen and/or heard)

Little Grebe	Mallard	Mistle Thrush
Great Crested Grebe	Tufted Duck	Cetti’s Warbler
Cormorant	Water Rail	Blackcap
Little Egret	Moorhen	Long-tailed Tit
Great Egret	Coot	Blue Tit
Grey Heron	Lapwing	Great Tit
Mute Swan	Snipe	Jay
Greylag Goose	Black-headed Gull	Magpie
Canada Goose	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Carrion Crow
Egyptian Goose	Woodpigeon	Chaffinch
Wigeon	Kingfisher	Goldfinch
Gadwall	Wren	Reed Bunting
Teal	Robin

 

Summary

It was a rather chilly June morning as we entered the Dale from the top end.  There was plenty of birdsong to greet us but not as many birds to see as we had hoped.  A few members were trying out a phone app to identify which birds were singing.  Accuracy of the app was difficult to prove as not many of the birds we saw were singing or calling!

While still in the upper part of the Dale we saw a Red Kite overhead and later a Buzzard and a hovering Kestrel.  In addition to the birds, we had good views of a Brown Hare and enjoyed the colourful patches of Jacob’s Ladder and a few remaining Purple Orchid.

Members participating:    16

Bird list (20 species seen and/or heard)

Mallard	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Chiffchaff
Red Kite	Grey Wagtail	Treecreeper
Buzzard	Wren	Magpie
Kestrel	Robin	Jackdaw
Coot	Redstart	Carrion Crow
Black-headed Gull	Blackbird	Chaffinch
Woodpigeon	Whitethroat

 

 

On arrival we were treated to a marvellous display of hirundines – swallows, house martins and even a few sand martins – over the field in front of the car park.  Many of us were then treated to a garden warbler singing in the wood even before leaving the car park. The reservoir was full to the brim so little to be seen from the hides apart from great crested grebes and the ever reliable great northern diver.  A noisy pair of oystercatchers added to the list and a male reed bunting just as we were leaving. Songbirds were in good form so a good chance to brush up on song thrush, blackbird and the warblers.  A sedge warbler was heard (with help from ‘Merlin’) and seen near the wildlife centre, a first for some, and a bullfinch was a nice spot in the top of the waving branches.  11 members enjoyed a fine warm day.

45 species  seen/heard

 

Canada Goose	Buzzard	Coal Tit	Bullfinch
Greylag goose	Coot	Long Tailed Tit	Siskin
Mute swan	Moorhen	Magpie	Blackbird
Mute swan	Oystercatcher	Jay	Song Thrush
Mallard	Lapwing	Carrion Crow	Mistle Thrush
Tufted duck	Swallow	Jackdaw	Robin
Gadwall	House Martin	Wood Pigeon	Dunnock
Cormorant	Sand Martin	Black Headed Gull	Wren
Great Crested Grebe	Blue Tit	Chaffinch	Chiff Chaff
Great Northern Diver	Great Tit	Goldfinch	Willow Warbler
Black Headed Gull	Blackcap	Garden Warbler	Sedge Warbler
			Pheasant

 

Summary

It was a bright sunny morning as we arrived and parked by the mill although there was a chilly breeze.  There was not much happening at the mill – a brief sighting of a Peregrine but otherwise mostly Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons.  There was nothing much around the weir either but House Sparrows greeted us as we set off up Wyver Lane.  Others of our regular species were added to our list as we continued up the lane and tried to identify the songs we were hearing. A stop at the hide added to our waterfowl count, including Gadwall.  Towards the top of the lane where there were breaks in the trees we saw Buzzards circling, together with two Peregrines and a Kestrel. Some mobbing of the Buzzards was followed by mobbing of a Raven by a pair of crows.  By the time we returned to the weir, both a Pied and a Grey Wagtail were flitting along the top of the weir wall but the mill’s Peregrines were nowhere to be seen; we trust the Peregrines were out on the wing, enjoying the warmth of the sun as we had.

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Summary

It was exactly one year ago that we visited this RSPB reserve on the Dee estuary. Just four members making the trip on that occasion. This time the weather was better; sunny and reasonably warm for the time of year.  Although the number of species counted was much the same, around one-third were different to those seen in 2022.

A pair of Treecreepers caught our attention early on.  Little Egrets appeared to be nest building in the tree tops at a distance but we also had close views of one from one of the hides.  Black-tailed Godwit were plentiful and in a range of plumages, varying from winter to full breeding. 

Mediterranean Gulls were clearly identifiable among the rather larger numbers of Black-headed. There were several songsters to be heard as we walked through the reserve, including Cetti’s and Reed Warbler, Robin and Wren. Towards the end of our stay House Martins and Sand Martins were spotted in the distance.

It was good to have a number of our newer members on the trip and all seemed to appreciate and enjoy the day.

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Summary

Wet, wet, wet but great for the birds! Almost uninterrupted rain throughout our stay at this reserve in the Dearne Valley near Barnsley, which sometimes made it difficult to identify birds. Fortunately, there are several hides, including at least two that are particularly large. It was from one of these that we saw the three Spoonbills; initially just one of them was feeding in characteristic fashion with its long bill dipped in the water, swinging from side to side but then the other two joined in.

We failed to reach consensus over the Sandpiper – was it a Green or a Common? Hopefully we are all still on speaking terms and will meet again next month!

It was good to see such a variety of species, including some that don’t appear regularly on our lists and the café proved a welcome refuge at the end of our visit.

Members participating: 10 + 1 guest

Bird list (46 species seen and/or heard)

Little Grebe	Tufted Duck	Herring Gull
Great Crested Grebe	Pheasant	Woodpigeon
Cormorant	Moorhen	Pied Wagtail
Little Egret	Coot	Dunnock
Great Egret	Ringed Plover	Robin
Grey Heron	Golden Plover	Blackbird
Spoonbill	Lapwing	Song Thrush
Greylag Goose	Little Stint	Long-tailed Tit
Canada Goose	Dunlin	Blue tit
Shelduck	Snipe	Great Tit
Wigeon	Jack Snipe	Magpie
Gadwall	Black-tailed Godwit	Carrion Crow
Teal	Green/Common Sandpiper	Chaffinch
Mallard	Black-headed Gull	Greenfinch
Shoveler	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Goldfinch
Pochard