Thursday 9 January 2014

First trip to our local patch in 2014 - Messingham Sand Quarry

It was only 90 minutes at the reserve in Messingham, North Lincs. but it was enough time to see quite a few birds.
On arrival into the carpark I was greeted with the sight of 3 common buzzards circling the pine trees.
Not a great pic but this was the closest one of the 3.
The usual woodland birds were at the edge of the carpark enjoying seed put down by other visitors.
Coal Tit
Blackbird
1 of several robins chasing each other around the feeding area.
After spending time at Grebe Lake looking for an otter without success, a walk through the woods produced a flash of white down the tree trunk and the appearance of a treecreeper.
Onto the duck hide overlooking the main lake.There were several shelducks to the left of the hide.They always seem to favour this side maybe just keeping out of the way of the hundreds of greylags.
The greylags, about 200 this day were their usual entertaining selves with birds having baths, fighting and calling loudly when other groups of geese flew onto the lake.
Greylag Geese
Leaving the hide and heading back the other way through the pines I noticed a small bird flitting about the base of a tree in the brambles.My first Goldcrest of the year but I only managed to get this photo as it turned and flew further into the trees.
On leaving the reserve, at the gate this stunning male kestrel was on the phone cable surveying the hedgerows for food.
So not bad for a quick 90 minutes around the reserve.Total bird sightings were:
3 Coal Tits
6 Robins
2 Dunnocks
6 Blackbirds
2 Blue Tits
4 Chaffinches
3 Buzzards
1 Treecreeper
1 Goldcrest
200 Greylags
7 Shelducks
15 Cormorants
12 Mute swans
40+ Black Headed Gulls
1 Bullfinch
10 Coots
1 Kestrel
plus 2 Grey squirrels

Thanks for reading:)

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