Thursday, 12^th. September, 2013. Bennerley Marsh

Small Tortoiseshell

The Bennerley feeders were busy this morning with three Coal Tit and half a dozen Goldfinch’s with Starlings and House Sparrows joining in for breakfast.

A quick turn around Bennerley and on arrival three Buzzards above the viaduct joined by a Sparrowhawk plus a Kestrel waiting in the wings.

Bennerley Lodge. 3 Coal Tit, 6 Goldfinch, 28 Starling, 10 House Sparrow. Bennerley. 3 Buzzard, Sparrowhawk [m.] Kestrel,3 Grey Heron, 22 Black-headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 7 Canada Goose, 6 Swallow. Chat Corner. Buzzard, Kestrel, 5 Greenfinch, Pheasant. Botany Bay. 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldfinch.

Butterflies. 3 Large White, Small Whites, 1 Green-veined White, 2 Speckled Wood, 2 Small Tortoiseshell. Dragonflies. Southern Hawker, Common Darter.

Friday, 13^th. September, 2013. Bennerley Marsh.

Tufted Ducks

There was an irate male Blackcap in the Linear Park as I was doing the milk-run, he didn’t seem to like anyone, avian or human! Then on to Bennerley for what was a quiet time with odd Swallows passing through, the regular Buzzard and Grey Heron, things were made a little more interesting with a Tufted Duck family on the Erewash Canal and a single Small Copper.

Linear Park. Blackcap, 15 Starling. Botany Bay. 5 Goldfinch.  Shipley Gate, 5 Swallow, 3 Tufted Duck. North Marsh. 2 Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Sparrow Hawk, Snipe, 6 Swallow. Chat Corner. Buzzard, Grey Heron, 6 Swallow. Bennerley. 20 Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 20 Swallow.

Butterflies. Small Whites, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Woods, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Copper. Dragonflies. Common Darter, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker.

Saturday, 14^th. September, 2013. Attenborough NR. 

Egyptian Geese

I got to Attenborough early [for me!] before the people got there and I was rewarded with a spectacle involving hundreds of hirudines, Swallows, Sand Martins and for me, the stars of the show, House Martins, diving, swirling and appearing ready for the journey to come. While this aerial display was happening down on a sand pit a juvenile Ruff was running up and down upsetting the Lapwings.

With people starting to arrive I headed of up to the Coneries Pond and the Erewash field and round to the Church Pond with nothing to show but a Kestrel and a Sedge Warbler plus a few Gadwall but I picked up a pair of Egyptian Geese, a female Blackcap and tow Chiffchaff.

Back on the Clifton, four Buzzards were soaring above the wood on the Barton side of the Trent. More Hirundines were passing through with a Hobby in tow, food for the journey ?

Two more Ruff appeared on the sand spit, a Little Egret flew past and a Cettis’ Warbler kept popping up below the Tower Hide and a female Sparrowhawk sitting by a reed bed probably aware of the Cettis’ among other things-a nice day and one or two nice people!

Clifton Pond. 12 Wigeon, 22 Gadwall, 14 Shoveler, 3 Ruff, 10 Tree Sparrow, 220 House Martin, 35 Sand Martin, 40 Swallow, 4 Buzzard [Barton Side] Sparrowhawk [f] Hobby, Little Egret, Cetti’s Warbler.

Coneries. Kestrel, Sedge Warbler, Grey Heron, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 14 Gadwall, 6 Great Crested Grebe. Tween Pond. 25 Lapwing, Little Egret, 28 Teal. Church Pond. 2 Egyptian Goose, 22 Gadwall, 2 Chiffchaff, Blackcap.

Butterflies. Small Whites, Large White, Speckled Woods, Small Tortoiseshell. Dragonflies. Brown Hawker, Common Darter, Migrant Hawkers.

Sunday, 15 September, 2013. Bennerley/Woodside.

Meadow Pipits

After a promising start the day turned out to be something of a disappointment, with wind and rain throughout and not much to see.

“vismig” in action at Chat Corner with Meadow Pipits and Swallows passing through, plus quite a few Speckled Wood butterflies with a hardy disposition! By the time I got to Woodside it was raining of and on and there was very little to see, so for the next few weeks it all eyes to the north, preferably from a suitable vantage point, like a pit top!

Bennerley. 12 Black-headed Gull, 4 Swallow. Chat Corner. 24 Meadow Pipit. Plus. Speckled Wood Butterflies.

Shipley Lake. 4 Gadwall, 2 Great Crested Grebe. Woodside. 11 Long-tailed Tit, Blackcap [f.] Grey Heron, 2 Pheasant.