Birds at Attenborough

Over half term we managed to get out to Attenborough Nature Reserve near Nottingham. Though it was a bit cold to start with it was a pleasant day out and the sun did say hello to us at sunset. Around the visitor centre there was a flock of ducks and geese that contained a couple of interesting birds.

Who am I? I'm an Egyptian Goose of course! This is the best view I have ever got (or am likely to get) of this wonderful bird. Just before Christmas I managed to film a flock of 17 over Rutland water but there is nothing quite so satisfying as looking at them eyeball to eyeball.

We also spotted this female Pochard in one of the lakes. I didn't recognise her at first because of her white cheeks. If you compare this photo to others I have taken of female Pochards you can see that this one is at the end of winter feather season.

And finally a mega mega never seen one of these before mega new bird - a female Ruddy Shelduck. What a beautiful animal!

The map below shows the route we walked around the reserve

A wander around Pewit Carr Nature Reserve

I spent one day last week up at Pewit Carr Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire. This place used to be a desolate ruin of a landscape corrupted by years of mining. Now it is a wildlife haven. This is a female Pochard (Aythya ferina). I didn't recognise what it was at first. My only other encounter with this species was in February this year down at Watermead and that one was a male (see below).

The ducks seemed happy enough in the lakes. In fact in one lake I saw more coots (Fulica atra)than I have probably ever seen in my entire life, all in one place. I am not joking, there was at least 30 of them all swimming about in this one small lake.

We didn't just see birds though. Despite the rapidly dropping temperature and the coming winter there was still creepy crawlies about. This Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) caterpillar was running across the path as we headed deeper into the park. The landscape itself was displaying all the signs of Autumn. The trees were yellowing, the grass dieing down. The sky was full of dark grey clouds. Droplets of long fallen rain hung to the branches and added a aromatic dampness to the environment.To the North we could see the forested Shipley Hill. I have wandered around there in the past. Long a go it used to be a big country house. Now the house is gone the gardens have slowly returned to nature. Its manicured lawns and terraces now home to great mature trees.

Some man made curiosities could be also be seen from Pewit Carr. Towards the south west the windmill on Cat and Fiddle Lane can be seen. I love windmills, they add a kind of romantic nostalgia to any scene.

If you fancy this walk, check out the map below and get out there.