Holmebrook Valley 24th - 30th of March. Sping is coming!

Because its the Easter holidays I have managed to get to Holmebrook Valley 5 times this week. During the week there has been quite a few geese on the lake and finally a few signs of spring.

On the 24th I had my first Chiffchaffs of 2018 calling with about 3 birds around the site. On the lake there were now 4 Greylag Geese (Highest HBV record) and 2 Canada Geese. The Greylag Geese seemed to be two pairs and were very territorial towards each other. One of the pairs flew south but returned 10 minutes later and then 3 of the Greylags and both Canada Geese left at 15:30 and didn't return. 

All 4 Greylag Geese

 Other birds on the lake were 7 Tufted Ducks, 1 Cormorant, 20 Black-Headed Gulls and the Great Crested Grebe. I also found my first 2018 frogspawn at the bottom end of the lake. This week it is meant to get colder but hopefully it will survive.

Frogspawn

On the 25th there was not much difference but the Chiffchaffs were still calling and both Canada Geese had returned to the lake and were with the 1 remaining Greylag Goose. Also there were only 2 Black-Headed Gulls, 5 Tufted Ducks and I found a Coot already on a nest. I couldn't find the Great Crested Grebe though. 

Coot on nest

On the 26th there were 3 Canada Geese, 9 Tufted Ducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe and still only 1 Greylag Goose but I did find the male Mute Swan (089) on last years nest. I presume its to early for them to breed yet and he was probably just sitting there because its comfortable.

089 on old nest

On the 27th 3 Greylag Geese, 2 Canada Geese and 10 Tufted Ducks (New highest Tuftie count) were on the lake. 

Greylag Geese

On the 30th there were no Greylag Geese or Tufted Ducks but the 2 Canada Geese were still present and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming below the lake. 

Holmebrook Valley 20 - 23 - 25/02/18

This week I have been down to Holmebrook Valley three times.
On the 20th of February I went down for about an hour. On the lake there was the usual Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swans, 40+ Black-Headed Gulls, a few Mallards, Coots and a couple of Moorhens. The Tufted Ducks were there as usual and I counted 9 of them which I think is a new site record. Also on the lake were two Canada Geese which were new, but no Greylag Goose, although there was one seen at Linacre Reservoirs which would have been the same bird. This bird has flown from Holmebrook Valley to Linacre before as is just about a 5 minute flight for it.

8 of the 9 Tufted Ducks

Both Canada Geese

On the 23rd I went down for about 50 minutes. There was basically the same on the lake but instead there were no Tufted Ducks, no Canada Geese and the Greylag Goose had returned from his/her flight up to Linacre Reservoir. Also on the lake was 1 Common Gull, 2 Cormorants, 1 Great Crested Grebe and about 120 Black-Headed Gulls which was a lot. Unfortunately I couldn't find any ringed gulls but quiet a few of the birds were in breeding plumage and I managed to get some nice photos of one of these birds.

 Also on the 23rd there were 2 Kingfishers calling on the river.

Today the sun was out and it was quiet a nice day so I went down for half and hour. I knew that there had been quiet a few Whooper Swans around South Yorkshire this morning so I kept my fingers crossed that they might fly over to the lake at Holmebrook.
Unfortunately there were no Whoopers on the lake but there were 6 Tufted Ducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Mute Swans and about 60 Black-Headed Gulls. Also there were very low numbers of Mallards today with only about 20 - 30 birds present.

2 of the Mute Swans

Holmebrook Valley Park 17 - 18/02/18

This week I am off school and I have managed to get down to Holmebrook Valley a couple of times.

17/02/18

I popped down for about 45 minutes on Saturday and had a walk round the lake. On the lake there was a flock of about 60 Black-Headed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Greylag Goose, 3 Tufted Ducks, all 3 Mute Swans and 2 Cormorants.

Common Gull

The tame Robin was still by the boardwalk in his normal tree and I managed to get some nice shots of him.

18/02/18

Today I went to Holmebrook Valley about half an hour.
Birds on the lake were 50+ Black-Headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Tufted Ducks (3 Male + 2 Female, A good record for HBV), 2 Cormorants, all 3 Mute Swans and 1 Greylag Goose.

Great Crested Grebe nearing full breeding plumage.

I also saw 1 female Goosander fly over and it was coming in to land but it flew off. Around the lake there was the usual tame Robin and I could hear the Kingfisher calling on the river and when I went to look, it flew off. I guess seeming that it was calling a lot, there was another bird.

Tame Robin

Also I added Green Woodpecker and Tawny Owl to my year list. I saw the Green Woodpecker this morning at Linacre Reservoirs and the Tawny Owl last weekend flying over a roundabout near Batemoor.

Holmebrook Valley Park 12/02/18

From last Saturday night through to Monday it snowed a bit in Chesterfield, so when I woke up I found out that my school was closed due to the snow. This gave me chance to get down to Holmebrook Valley to see if there was anything about.

I walked round the lake for about an hour and 25 minutes. On the lake there was a big flock of gulls with at least 100 birds present. I had a quick scan through the Black-Headed Gulls and managed to find 2 Common Gulls and a juvenile Black-Headed Gull with a metal ring on it. The ringed bird was to far out on a raft to reed the ring so unfortunately I don't know where it has come from.

A few on the gulls including the ringed Black-Headed Gull (2nd from the right on the raft) and the common gull (Just left of the middle Cormorant)

Other birds present on the lake where, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Tufted Ducks, 3 Cormorants, all 3 Mute Swans and a Grey Heron which was fishing. A bird that I thought had gone was the Greylag Goose, but it was back on the lake so it may have been hiding somewhere. If it was there the day before, then I don't know how I missed it.

                                                                  The Greylag Goose

                                 Black-Headed Gulls on the boardwalk. Unfortunately no rings!
Around the lake there was a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, a couple of Bullfinch, a Greenfinch calling at the top end of the lake, which is a nice Holmebrook Valley record as I don't see them much there, and this very friendly and tame Robin in his/her normal location by the boardwalk. I have not seen this Robin for at least a month so it was nice to see it back and in the snow I got some nice photos.

                                                    I tried to hide the seed in the snow!

                                                                 The lake in the snow

Holmebrook Valley Park 11/02/18

I went down to Holmebrook Valley today for about an hour despite the horrible weather. It was drizzling, cold and worst of all very windy, which made it feel even colder. I cycled down to the lake to see if there was anything about. On the lake there was 2 Tufted Ducks (Male and female), 3 Goosanders, including 2 which landed on the lake whilst I was there, about 60 Black-Headed Gulls including some near summer plumaged birds, all 3 Mute Swans and 3 Cormorants that were on a raft in the middle of the lake. The Greylag Goose that has been on the lake since December wasn't on the lake today so I guess it has flown away. Another bird that I found was a Great Crested Grebe which has been gone since November. Its nice to see the grebe back on the lake and hopefully it will successfully breed this year.

                                                                 Great Crested Grebe

                                               Near summer plumage Black-Headed Gull
I also found a Goldcrest which came within about 5m of me by was to quick and surrounded by branches to photograph. I spent about 15 minutes trying and here's the best I managed.

 Also with the Goldcrest were a few Goldfinch and Siskin which were feeding on the ground below.

                                             The lake whilst the sun was out for 5 minutes

Holmebrook Valley Park 27/01/18

It was not very nice weather today with it being quiet windy and overcast but I still went down to Holmebrook Valley today for about 40 minutes from 11:51 to 12:30. The lake was pretty quiet but I did find one female Goosander. Over this winter I have seen quiet a few Goosanders at Holmebrook with up to 4 at a time but still it was nice to see.

                                                                Goosander record shot

Apart from that there were 3 Tufted Ducks (2 males and 1 Female), 2 Cormorants, 60+ Black-Headed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, all 3 Mute Swans and the Greylag goose was still there as well. I also managed to count 16 Coots which is good compared to Linacre where there were only 3 this morning. There could have been more around the lake which were hiding.

                                                            One of the 3 Tufted Ducks

                                                                     The Cygnet swan

                                                                       Greylag Goose

Unfortunately the Kingfisher wasn't seen and the Canada Goose from two weeks ago had gone.

London 20/01/18 - 21/01/18

I was in London this weekend with family and friends so I didn't get to go down to Holmebrook Valley but whilst visiting all the tourist sights I managed to see a few birds and get some year ticks.

The first place we went to was Westminster to see Big Ben although it was covered in scaffolding so we couldn't see it very well. Every time I go there I always have a look on the roof of the boat station on the River Thames, for ringed Black Headed Gulls but every time it has been without success. This time there were about 20 on the roof and I scanned through them all and managed to get a bird with a metal ring, but unfortunately it was too far away to read.

                                                         Ringed Black Headed Gull
Apart from that, it was very wet and there was nothing else about so we headed of to see Buckingham Palace and on the way we went through St James Park. On the lake there were many captive ducks and geese but I also managed to find two Little Grebes and two Great Crested Grebes which were both year ticks. Walking down the lake I noticed two colour ringed Coots. I only managed to get the ring code of one as they were fast and it was chucking it down.

                                              Ringed Coot. White with black writing HAN

*Update* The Coot was ringed 5 days before in the same location. My record was the first since then.

Other birds seen round the lake were two Grey Herons, lots of Black Headed Gulls, one Common gull, a few Herring Gulls and Ring Necked Parakeets (Year tick) which were heard and seen everywhere.

                                                         One of the two Grey Herons

                                                               Three captive Pelicans

The next day we spent most of the day in the Natural History Museum but on the journey from Deptford Bridge, where we stayed, we stopped of at Canary Wharf to swap from the DLR to the Underground Jubilee line. I had a look on Heron Quay just round the corner and found two Great Crested Grebes, two Cormorants and two Shags.

                                                   One of the two Great Crested Grebes

One last bird I saw was a Common Gull that was on the River Thames by the Cutty Sark ship in Greenwich whilst it was snowing.