Friday saw me jumping into our lorry at work for a jolly down to Oxfordshire to pick up some drill core. My first obvious thought was "Yes! Red Kite country". However, the excitement of spotting my first Kite for the year was quickly dampened around 1130am when the electrics on the dashboard blew and we had to towed back to Nottingham! The kites put on a good show to cheer me up though, two flying right overhead about 1300 whilst waiting for the recovery truck to turn up!
Friday evening and a quick wander round Elvaston Castle Park in the hope of hearing (and then finding) the Tawny Owl resulted in nothing but this toad.
No owls to be heard, but I did also see a weasel (or something similar). The evening got slightly better with some drinks at my bessie mates house before his inevitable slump into married life, and after getting through beer and chat he booted me out at 230am. The walk home leads me past the Ripley Greenway at the bottom of our road and to my excitement the Tawny's were calling! And even better I'd brought my bag with my torch inside with me as I'd gone from work to my friends and left my car there. Brilliant! What ensued must have looked a bit odd with me creeping slowly over the grassy fields, listening with head on one side, occasionally trying to imitate a drunken male Tawny and flashing the torch at the slightest movement. Eventually, one flew across my path, but I reckoned there was at least three calling. Well, I think it was three?
Sunday - A quick wander round Willington in the afternoon provided some interesting sightings. 17 Curlew were present on the main pond but flew off north about 1600 and a Dunlin was at number 4 platform. Good numbers of Goosander were present, along with Wigeon, Shoveler and Gadwall. At least 2 Cetti's lead me on a merry dance but eventually gave themselves up, and Reed Buntings were very evident, with at least 8 pairs zipping around platform four.
Birding Yearlist = 120
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