Nosterfield

 I left home for a visit to Staveley reserve, but the car park was full, so I moved onto Nosterfield.I started at the quarry site. Not many birds on Lingham Lake so I walked to the other lake. 

There were a few greylag geese and mute swans on the water and this pair of great crested grebes.

a goldfinch was feeding on teasel

a dunnock was singing from the top of a bush

On the way back to the car park I managed to find a little owl. Its old home has been taken down.

just in case you cannot find it in the photo

I then drove to Nosterfield Reserve to find the car park full! I had to stop in the car viewing point, which meant that I could not get out of the car!

Lots of black headed gulls and a good mixture of geese and ducks.I saw a few redshanks but was unable to turn them into a lesser yellowlegs, I wonder what has happened to it. As my field of view was restricted I did not stay too long.

After tea I ventured out to Colton. The last time that I was there was during the day and it is a construction site. So I thought I would pay an evening visit to try and see some birds. I arrived at the little car park that is situated between the railway lines to find that it was full. Two mobile homes were parked up and had put table and chairs out, so no space for anyone else!

A walk down the lane was interesting. The usual pot holes had been filled in and the bridge over the little stream was new. 40 tonne lorries used the lane now.

Where the verge was once full of flowers was now full of rails

Last year whitethroats were singing from hawthorn bushes, which had been torn out to make way for this

This windmill has been here since 1820 and has seen some changes as the railway lines have been developed.

I did not manage to get 100 birds on my year list before the end of the month, but I am quite pleased with the progress I have made this week, especially the osprey over the house!

So I start April on 93. By the end of March last year  I had 127 species but only saw 12 species in April due to the lockdown, so this April should be better.