Rufford CP 28/01/18

This afternoon I went to Rufford CP in Nottinghamshire. My main focus was to try see the Hawfinches that have been feeding around the main carpark over the winter as they would be a "lifer" for me. When we arrived I managed to spot one straight away at the top of a tall tree in the carpark, but by the time we had parked and got out it had disappeared. I waited for about 5 minutes with a group of birders and we managed to find a couple at the tops of the trees. There were at least 5 when I was there but there had been up to 20 the day before. I managed some record shots but they were hard to photograph amongst the branches and were very high up in the trees. That was my first "lifer" of the year.

                                                                   Male Hawfinch

                                             Female Hawfinch compared to Greenfinch

After seeing the Hawfinches we went for a walk round the lake. On the lake there were 6 Goosander, 1 Little Grebe, 7 Mute Swans, lots of Canada Geese, a few Greylag Geese, 150+ Black-Headed Gulls, 20+ Common Gulls and 1 Kingfisher that was heard and then seen flying under the bridge on the island in the middle of the lake. There were quiet a lot of Tufted Ducks but unfortunately no Potchard.

                           Greylag x Canada Goose Hybrid                    Common Gull

                             Female Tufted Duck                      Greylag Geese scaring of the Canada's

It was interesting to see the cygnet Mute Swans as they had a lot more adult feathers on them then the birds at Holmebrook Valley. I guess that they were born earlier. Also one of the birds (bottom left photo) had a weird shaped bill that went of to the side. It obviously hasn't affected it as it is still alive. Possibly next time I may find it in full adult plumage?

Another bird I was hoping to see was Marsh Tit as I was told by a friend that they had seen one there the week before. Last year I didn't manage to see either Marsh or Willow Tit so I was eager to find one and tick it off the year list. It didn't take long as on the first bridge round the lake I found one coming to seed quiet regularly. I waited but it was quick and I only managed a record shot.

                                                                         Marsh Tit

One last bird that I saw was one I wasn't expecting to find today. We were driving home through a town called Nether Langwith which is on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire when I saw a Little Egret on the stream. We stopped and went back to look for it. By this time it had been spooked up into the trees by some runners who told me that it had been on the river there for a few months. Luckily it was just in Derbyshire by 10m. Little Egrets are not that common in Derbyshire and I have only seen them here whilst on the train to Derby from Chesterfield and once flying over Bakewell so it was a nice Derbyshire record for me and was also a year tick.