Bird Watching & Wildlife

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The Bird Watching & Wildlife group meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 10.30 am at the meeting place. The contacts for the group are Chrys and Paul Millington on 01773 764 943 or 07986 037 871.  No one is an expert and new members would be very welcome.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US?

Please contact Chrys/Paul

If unsure about the weather please contact Chrys/Paul.  Thanks.

Visit our gallery

Hi everyone. Our numbers are rapidly increasing which is good to see. Being a member of the Bird Watching & Wildlife Group involves travelling to locations beyond the boundaries of Eastwood but the benefits are huge: fresh air, lovely walks (not too strenuous), nature, exercise, good company, learning a new hobby etc.  We go out once a month to a variety of locations so please contact us if you are interested.

2023 Venues and Dates

19/01/2023   Shipley Park        –   Shipley Visitors Centre

16/02/2023  Rufford Park      –     Ollerton NG22 9DF

16/03/2023   Attenborough    –    NG9 6DY Notts Wildlife Trust

20/04/2023  Newstead/ Annesley Country Park   –    Newstead village NG15 0BU over rail crossing

18/05/2023 Dearne Valley Old Moor  –   RSPB Barnsley S73 0YF

15/06/2023  Codnor reservoir    –    Reservoir car park

20/07/2023  Rutland Water       –    Egleton, Rutland LE15 8BT

17/08/2023 Aldercar Flashes  –  Brinsley

21/09/2023  Carsington Water   –    (Sheepwash Car Park B5035 Wirksworth road)  DE4 4DD

19/10/2023  Skylarks            –      NG12 2LU  Holme Pierrepont

16/11/2023  Kingsmill Reservoir  – NG17 4PA Notts county council

21/12/2023  Brinsley Headstocks –  Brinsley

Dec 2023
Christmas outingThe bird watching and wildlife group were due to visit the Brinsley headstocks to walk along the old railway tracks. Past years we have seen plenty of winter birds here but due to high winds the visit was cancelled for safety reasons. This year we have had several events cancelled, or moved to another date, which has never happen in previous years! Global warming.  We did not let this puts us off as we all met at the Brinsley Lodge for Paul and Christine’s social Christmas lunch as previously arranged.  We had a wonderful time with good food and company.  The group over the year had seen 68 species of birds with the highlights probably being Avocet, Black necked grebe, Marsh harrier, Osprey and Little ringed plover.  Another good and enjoyable year with the weather playing its part.                        Paul and Christine Millington

July 2023:
This month (July) we visited Rutland water nature reserve. This is looked after by Leicestershire & Rutland wildlife trust. The day was warm with sunny periods, no rain! Walking along the grass paths lined with trees there were nettles and wild flowers in abundance, ideal for the wild life. Numerous butterflies were spotted and we all agreed this year we hadn’t seen so many or indeed variety. In total we saw 6 species, Gatekeeper, Speckled wood, Commer, Red admiral, Small white and Peacock. Various Damselflies and Skimmers were also seen. We saw a total of 23 species of bird on our visit to the various hides over looking Rutland water. With all the normal ducks spotted our top birds of the day have to be Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Red Kite and Common Tern. Including theBuzzard makes a total of four birds of prey spotted. This brings our total bird species seen this year to 67.

Lunch and drinks were taken at the visitors centre and a good day was had by all.

March 2023
Our visit to Attenborough Nature Reserve on 16th March was forecast to be overcast with rain later; this proved to be incorrect as we had some sunshine and dry all morning.  Nineteen of our group of bird watchers gathered in the car park. Setting off into the reserve we observed a Cormorant diving for breakfast,  breaking the surface with fish in beak. Down he went again returning this time with a frog. Down he went again returning  with yet another fish. Walking along we saw our regular ducks and geese and then heard a Chiff Chaff. This was either an early migrant bird returning or a bird that has stayed overwinter, which is beginning to happen more regularly due to global warming. Turning off the main footpath venturing between the lakes it became a little muddy. We continued observing birds that some of the group members had not seen before or not been able to identify as we continued notching up the different species, heading back to the car park and lunch. The drinks and lunch was very pleasant as we all caught up with the morning events. In total we saw 32 different species at Attenborough which in the three outings this year we have seen a total of 45 bird species. The top two birds seen at Attenborough would probably be the Smew and Reed bunting. A great morning was had by all.
Paul and Chrys Millington
April 2022
WOW! What a glorious Thursday morning the Bird watching and wildlife group had at Aldacar flashes. The sun was shining the birds were singing, many just back from Africa. Thankfully the Whitethroats had arrived back from Sahel, just south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. Singing their scratchy little song and displaying well. A first for a few of our members. Reed bunting, Teal, Gadwell,  Shoveler, Heron, Buzzard, Kestrel, Tree pipit, Shelduck were seen along with our normal ducks. Lapwing/Peewit were calling and showing us spectacular views of their aerial breeding display.  Spectacular flashes of black and white as they twisted and turned showing off their underwing plumage.
Butterflies were spotted with the Orange tip out in numbers along with Peacock and Holly Blue. Flowers were numerous with Dandelion and Celandine being the obvious ones.
Just round the corner we had lunch in the sun drenched garden of the Headstocks cafe. A lovely end to what was a fabulous morning.
Shelduck
Whitethroat

Chrys and Paul Millington

March 2022:
The bird watching and wildlife group attended Attenborough nature reserve in March. After the previous afternoons constant rain we arrived to be greeted with glorious sunshine and clear skies. We walked over a bridge to see swimming below, 9 chicks belonging to a pair of Egyptian geese, our first chicks of the year. (see photo) We proceeded to the first hide seeing Blue tits, Great tits, Robins and a Great white egret which is a recent addition to our wildlife due to global warming. We also heard the very distinctive song of the Cetti’s warbler, our first of the year, but unfortunately not seen. Continuing our walk around Attenborough we saw all our normal ducks along with Mute swans, Widgeon, Shoveler, Cormorant and Reed warbler.
A very good morning followed with drinks and lunch at the visitor centre.

MESSAGE FROM JANE JOHNSON 
I have had a project with my eldest granddaughter to breed butterflies and last month we released 6 painted lady butterflies into the wild (both in Newthorpe and in Northleach, Gloucestershire) and have currently 7/10 small tortoiseshell caterpillars eating as many nettles as we can collect. We have a luxurious wildflower lawn which attracts bees and butterflies and counted 43 in 15 minutes in the fields behind your house for the Big Butterfly Count last week. The hedgehog hibernated all Winter along with another (in another box) and comes back to feed occasionally. We are collecting hay and straw for him to make a nest for this Winter. We also built a very small ‘fairy’ pond and put a frog house next to it and the frogs from next door come visiting through a small pipe under the fence between our gardens and the blackbirds and pigeons bathe in it and the goldfinch and other birds come for a drink.

Today on our walk we saw mining bees coming out of a burrow near Giltbrook and of course we see the buzzards regularly overhead, as well as the kestrels.
 

May 20th at Newstead/Annesley country park

May’s outing was to Newstead and Annesley country park which was a gloomy and damp day. Never the less six of us ventured out to walk around this new wild life environment developed from what was left over from the coal mining industry. We saw the normal ducks along with Swallow, Sand martin and Willow warbler. There was also a great variety of flora amongst the grasses surrounding the lakes.  But the surprise of the day had to be the Black necked grebe. We spotted quite a few of these birds. As the weather drew in and the rain started to fall we headed back to the car park, well satisfied.
Paul and Chrys
PS One of our group thought he saw a Penguin. He now has an appointment with spec savers.
Black necked grebe
Tyred Members attending

 

Hello everyone,

Decided for my allowed daily exercise I would have a 20-minute walk across the fields to Watnall woods bird feeders. In horse racing terms it would be deemed heavy going. My intention was to try and add to my years list looking for Nuthatch, Chaffinch and Coal tit. As Guinness and I made our way there we saw a raptor being mobbed by a crow. Too far away to be sure but looked to be a Sparrow hawk. No positive ID so not going on my list. As we approached Reckoning house the going got very heavy, glad I had my wellies on. There was a Raptor calling somewhere between Reckoning house and the woods but could not find it. Watching the feeders from the bench it wasn’t long before the birds came visiting. It was fabulous to see so many Blue and Great tits darting in and out on the feeders. Blackbird and Dunnock on the ground and of course the grey squirrels, which didn’t go unnoticed by Guinness! Then a pair of Nuthatch turned up along with a Song thrush. You usually see one or two Robins at any given time, but I have never seen so many Robins in one place at the same time as today. Most were getting along but of course there was the inevitable fallout. Thinking of making tracks when two Chaffinch appeared. Crossing the fields, on the way home, saw a Buzzard gliding overhead then a small flock of birds Starling size landed in the field. Manoeuvring to get a better view of the flock, the crops were up to the birds’ necks, I saw the thrush-like bird with the tell-tale grey, brown and spots of the Fieldfare.

Fieldfare

A lovely hour’s adventure with the Chaffinch, Song thrush, Fieldfare and Nuthatch added to my 2021 bird list.

 

 

Bird Watching and Wildlife 2020

Bird Watching and Wildlife Reports 2019

 

Bird Watching Reports 2018

Bird Watching Reports 2017

Bird Watching Reports 2016

Bird Watching Reports 2015