Nottingham RSPB
local group

Bird race 2004

Race Report

Off we went to our first site, Longdale Lane, hoping for Nightjar, Tawny Owl and Woodcock. By now the rain was torrential, no hope of Owls and no moths to entice the Nightjars out. As we moved along we debated whether Woodcock roded in rain and on arrival we found out they did. There was little point in hanging around so we set off for site number two, Clumber Park for the dawn chorus and maybe a couple of 'goodies' like Lesser Spotted Woodpecker or Hawfinch. The rain alternated between torrential and heavy, already I realised my waterproof coat wasn't! And I had not bothered with waterproof trousers. Stu was alright, he had his RSPB issue gear, Andrew was ok, he‘s got plenty of money and can buy the best. Did not know how Stephen was fairing as he did not say much at the start. The list started to tick over nicely, but we missed some Clumber specialities, including Marsh Tit, but we were confident we would pick them up later. We made our way to the dam, Terns flew over the lake, the rain was too heavy to tell if there were any Arctics among them, Warblers flicked about in the reeds below us, Sedge or Reed? Reed. Again over the lake Hirundines flew, Swallows in great numbers, Swifts higher up, and then a couple of House Martins put in an appearance and went onto the list. Then for me the highlight of the day, Andrew was following a large bird as it came towards us, "its a big Gull" he said, then he shouted "IT'S AN OSPREY, I'M NOT KIDDING, IT'S AN OSPREY". And it was, it flew over where we stood and dipped its wings in salute as it passed. I swear the rain stopped while this bird was near, it passed, hovered a short distance away as if hunting and then was gone. And it was still raining. Drenched we made our way back to the car (hoping to leave before the National Trust people arrived and charged us parking fees). Passing an Osprey that was flying low over the lake, but we could not tell if it was 'our' bird or a second one.

Our next port of call was to be Lound and we were ably navigated to it, but the road through the village was being relaid and we could not get through. We had to detour and get in from the other end, a manoeuvre that cost over three quarters of an hour.
On leaving Clumber we had decided not to stop for breakfast at the café opposite the gates. So Stephen still had not eaten. We began to worry about him, but he insisted he was okay. Lound as usual produced some good birds and most of the Waders we saw were found here, we also picked up a drake Pintail several species of Gull and a late Wheatear. I also believe it was here that the rain finally stopped, I do know it was here that I realised the water had got into my dictaphone and binoculars. The dictaphone situation was the most serious at the time and you may be able to tell from this article I am struggling to remember who saw what and where it was seen. (My binoculars dried out and are as good as new but the dictaphone only plays at top speed and I sound as if I have been sniffing Helium!) .

From Lound it was on to Gringley and the hope of some farmland birds and who knows maybe something a little special. Corn Bunting proved to be no problem as we saw one almost on arrival. We made our way to the pumping station and then from there to the river. What a surprise, on my last visit in winter there had been large areas of shallow water, full of ducks and Swans, but this time it was just fields and very few birds. I think it was here that we started to take stock of what we had missed, we still had not seen Tree Sparrow, Bullfinch and both Marsh and Willow Tits, surely this would be rectified. At least we had not hit the 'wall' and were all still very cheerful.

The Raptor watch point at Welbeck was our next port of call. we knew we had no chance of Honey Buzzard as they have not returned for the past couple of years and we already had Osprey in the bag. Buzzard proved a bit harder than anticipated as one of our team could not see what the others could. But eventually the bird was kind to me and came quite close. Another for the list. Time was passing much quicker now and those missing species began to seem more important. We knew our total was fairly good and the expected one hundred species was still on, but we were now in need of some luck.

On to Sherwood Forest, and several new birds, I began to feel a bit tired here and following Andrew's now legendary navigation we ended up in a fenced off area with no public access. I had visions on the leader of the Nottingham RSPB being led off, arrested for trespass. We did see a couple of new birds here, one sat in a tree not far from where we stood, from its shape I thought at first it was a Nuthatch, it seemed to have a largish bill. But it turned and the bill was part of a branch, the bird was a Spotted Flycatcher. It was while driving towards Sherwood I had glimpsed a couple of Red-legged Partridge in the corner of a field. I yelled at Andrew to back up and he did! I have never been in a car where the driver has done this but we reversed at speed and the birds were still there. Stuart checked they were indeed kosher Red-legs and they joined the others on our list. We decided against a visit to Netherfield as we would lose a lot of time walking from where the car would be parked, we knew the Goldeneye at Colwick that had summered for several years was no more so we bypassed Colwick and went on to Holme Pierrepont. Here Stephen spotted what could possibly have been the bird (or birds) of the day, when he sighted a pair of Garganey, the male in his full breeding plumage was a real stunner. I have seen this species in Nottinghamshire before but always in autumn when they are in eclipse plumage. What a bonus. It was also here we got another part bird when Stuart saw a Green Sandpiper that disappeared around a corner before the rest of us could get on to it. This joined a part Kingfisher seen at Clumber. Both never made it onto the list as they were not seen again.

Time was racing by now, I think all of us were beginning to feel it now, but on we pressed. I was especially impressed with Andrew, who since the departure of Tim Smee has become the outings new 'King of Zonk'. He falls asleep as soon as he gets on the bus, wakes for the visit then sleeps all the way home. I must admit I had doubts about his ability to complete a bird race. But he not only completed it he drove all day. We went back to the main road trying to find a point from where we could get a good view of the A52 pit but had no luck, from this vantage point though we did add two raptors in just about as many minutes, when first a Sparrowhawk and then a Hobby flew by.

We were desperate now, time was short, and I think we all knew we had just one last visit in us. We went on to Cotgrave and walked the canal there, hoping for the species we missed and possibly Grasshopper Warbler. But it was not to be this was the only area visited that did not add new species to the list. Time had now beaten us, it was nine pm, we had been on the road seventeen hours and even if we could have gone on it would have been too dark if we went on to another site. With some relief and a little reluctance we finished. We had failed to get the one hundred species we really wanted. We had missed the total by three species. Now was the time the Tree Sparrow, Bullfinch etc. came back to haunt us. Still it had not been in vain. We knew we had raised some serious money towards the 30th anniversary appeal.

Just for the record, Stephen went all day without any food of any sort passing his lips!