Tongue in cheek week!! Black Swan and Ring Necked Parakeet!

Tuesday January 9^th and Chris and I decide we will have a look at RSPB Old Moor. In previous years, we would have met at Rufford Park, north of Nottingham principally to reliably find and tick off the Hawfinch. (Ed: at the risk of being provocative should it be pronounced Awfinch, as in Otel?)

NO.. you don’t go to ospitals do you?

Sorry about that. Anyway, as I had enjoyed cracking views of a Hawfinch at Allestree park on Jan 1, and Rufford was a bit off my route, Chris agreed that in case the Dearne valley birds had moved on, she would drop in at Rufford en route and the 3 Hawfinches she did see, made that decision worthwhile.

When I arrived at the car park at 9.50am on the Garganey Trust Broomhill Flash reserve, it was quite clear why there were bins, scopes and videos, all pointing skywards - one lone Hawfinch contentedly eating away at some seeds! So, when Chris arrived 5 minutes later, it was double bubble!

I am still at a loss why one birder had his mini-video camera tripoded (is that a word?) to record the Hawfinch, for 15 minutes. I don’t think it did anything memorable!

Just the usual suspects at Broomhill, although Pink Feet had been reported but we dipped there.

As we arrived at Old Moor car park, it was good to chat to Mathew Capper, the I/C of this excellent RSPB reserve, and who I knew some years ago when he worked at Carsington. 

He talked about the changes at Old Moor, and we left him with a number ringing in my ears, his 200+ count for 2017…..279. For an RSPB boss, that will look good on his CV – shows he knows a bit about birds.

It was yet another cold day at Old Moor, and I had failed to appreciate that there would be a lot of ice. So, the wader scrape, wasn’t, and the Sparrow farm only really took of when volunteers topped up the feeders.

We added a Reed Bunting before lunch, and later in the reed bed area the Peregrine Falcon and a Green Sandpiper went on the list. Some birders saw the Peregrine chasing the Sandpiper. A single Little Egret increased our count, as did a nice flock of Linnets.

The only downside is that the RSPB are trying to do some improvements in the caf (which I have always rated highly) but this time the choice was limited, so it was just a bacon sarnie. Maybe next time.

Friday 12^th January, and I had a couple of hours to spare so I took a stroll round Allestree Park. I knew that Ring Necked Parakeets had been reported near the Evergreen Club, and after a bit of searching, found a pair prospecting in a hole in an old tree.

I don’t normally just list, but the 26 species seen in the park were most enjoyable for just 90 minutes, and included:- Nuthatch, Mandarin Duck nice male; pair of teal; 7 + 3 Goosanders; A host of Siskins intermixed with Goldfinches etc and a couple of Tree Creepers.

Sunday 14^th January  Yet again, I invited any BWB aficionados to join me for a morning walk at Attenborough (a sort of annual ½ away day!), and 6 people duly arrived at 9.30 for a 3-hour walk.

We did much the usual walk, and had good views of Goldeneye, a total of 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrest, and a small skein of Pink Footed Geese. Learners often puzzle over the fact that 10 geese on the deck is a gaggle, and 10 in the sky is a skein. Just another complication to get to grips with in the birding world!

We had 42 species in the total, a bit down on the 45 in 2017, but water level was quite high leaving not much in the way of islets for waders etc. A Water Rail near the centre was clearly lost in the reeds somewhere.

I did get a bonus, because I went back to Attenborough in the afternoon to sell some of my sugar tong collection, and spotted this handsome Black Swan getting food near the drawbridge to the visitor centre. OK, he was a bit away from New Zealand, but believe me he was wild. (Blacks Swans usually are!)

  

Birding Trivia No 2. There is an elite public school in St Petersburg where students wear uniforms the same colour as a Siskin, and there is also a statue of a Siskin in the city. In the same way public school students in the UK have sobriquets (like Etonians, Harrovians) boys at this school are called Siskins.

Well., with 74 to date on the 14^th Jan is OK progress. It doesn't compare with 2017, but I had done a Hi-tide spectacular by 14 Jan 2017, which made a big difference.

Next walks?  Next Sunday the 21st, Markeaton 10.30am.  1+1/2 hours if you are interested.

I'm going to check out this rung Mute Swan Y619.. always interesting to know if a rung bird  has any history...I'll let you know.

Happy Birding