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Sunday 3 April 2011

Mothers Day Migrants

 We were back up in Nottinghamshire to visit Angela's mum today. As usual I snuck out in the afternoon to look around Attenborough Nature Reserve.
 Winter visitors had mainly disappeared, but there were still 5 female Goosanders on the Main Pit and about 8 Goldeneye around the site. Duck numbers were very much down, with Mallard the most numerous, followed by Tufted Duck. There were a pair of Shelduck and Red-crested Pochard, the female of which was the leucistic bird I had seen here last year, a few Shoveler, Teal and Gadwall.


Leucistic female Red-crested Pochard

 There were also a few Egyptian Geese around including a partially leucistic individual.



Egyptian Goose with leucistic head feathers

Continuing the theme was this Canada Goose.


Canada Goose with partially leucistic neck feathers


  Good birds seen around the reserve were a pair of Willow Tits, 2 Oystercatchers and 10 or so Tree Sparrows, while 2 Cettis Warblers were heard but not seen.

 It was however summer migrants that were here in force today, with many singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, 20 or 30 Sand Martins, a dozen Swallows and 4 Common Terns.

 Early nesters included Coots, Moorhens, and a pair of Kestrels in the nestbox in Wheatear Field.




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