3-8-11, Whitemoor Haye

With utter rubbish on the TV I headed out with my dog for a bit of birding. I walked around the Whitemoor Haye lanes and noted Swallow, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Rook, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Blue Tit, Peregrine, Kestrel, Linnet, Mallard, Moorhen, Little Owl, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Goldfinch, Magpie, Yellow Wagtail, Corn Bunting and Skylark. It was a real struggle with only the crows being showy and vocal, everything else was hiding. On to the quarry pool and it didnt improve at all. 16 Lapwing and a single Green Sandpiper to add, plus a Robin and a Black Headed Gull flying over. There was still an hour of light, no point staying here so it was off to Croxall.
Of note, work has really intensified at Whitemoor Haye quarry pool, the buildings must be nearly done, now a massive adventure playground is being built plus they have machine raked or ploughed the whole left hand side of the main lake. October sees the centre open so by then I am assuming a fence is going to be built around the site which will block views from the usual place. RIP Whitemoor Haye lake.

Croxall GP.

Jai deteste Croxall. A bit harsh you might say but it is horrible, so mistreated. This could be a cracking nature reserve if is wasn't for one thing, people. As I had the dog I walked up to the hide, birded for all of five minutes (see later) and the back to the car not even waiting for dusk (I spent dusk at home with a bat detector listening and watching up to 6 bats flying around the garden). Birds noted were Tufted Duck, Pochard, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Coot, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Carrion Crow, Black Headed Gull, Wren, Teal, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Mallard, Greenshank, Shelduck, Blue Tit, Dunnock and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Again it was very quiet and I suppose a chap walking his three dogs one of which was a small terrier which obviously had little man syndrome and just wouldn't shut up, then there was a foreign family with three noisy kids but the noisiest was the father constantly shouting, oh yes they were enjoying a barbeque (I doubt they took that home). And finally the reason I was in the hide for all of five minutes, a couple appeared out of nowhere, saw lots of little birdies on the water and thought they would go and look, oops theyv'e flown away silly birdies. I was scanning through about 100 Black Headed Gulls when they, plus the waders and ducks present up and went and didint come back. I swore, got my stuff and went home.