Attenborough nature reserve (1 Viewer)

[richarddavis30]

Had a lovely walk around the reserve yesterday. My sightings were

Bug, blackbird, blue tit, buzzard, can goose, crow, chaff, cot, cormorant (30+), Egyptian goose 2, field fare, gadwall, goldeneye 1, goldfinch, gc grebe, great tit, g wood, grey heron, grey lag 45+, jay, lapwing, Lbbg, l grebe, lt tit,magpie, mallard, mistle thrush, moorhen, mute swan, pheasant, pochard, redwing, reeled bunting, robin, shoveler, starling, teal, tuf duck, wigeon, wood pigeon. Also what looks like a lavender Muscovy duck, well that's what the google images look like. Definately white/grey with red eyes and area around tem.

Lovely day and wel worth the visit.

 

[Baggieshep]

Jad Where Are You?

Hiya Richard, its good to see Attenborough on the forum. An associate of mine birds there regular & I hope he will now start posting his sightings:t: so do not be shy Jad I know your computer savi. Cheers & Happy BirdingB .

 

[richarddavis30]

Hi Baggieshep,

I believe that's what these forums should be about. I have only started birding this year and have found lots of the sightings on here really useful. Mostly for having an idea what i might see where i go. this allows some research into what those birds look like to help when i get there. Otherwise I just started to sink with all of them when you first look through your book at home.

Really did enjoy the walk up around there and will now make it a regular walk even though I am from Birmingham.

Happy Birding to all.

 

[Abbeybirder]

will be visiting the reserve early next year now I have found out the best way to get there by public transport so if any other people are out there with sightings from this place please let us know what there is around the reserve.

 

[Sc0tty]

will be visiting the reserve early next year now I have found out the best way to get there by public transport so if any other people are out there with sightings from this place please let us know what there is around the reserve.

The notts birders website includes sightings from Attenborough

http://www.nottsbirders.net/sightings.php

 

[Abbeybirder]

Many thanks for the link very interesting

 

[Abbeybirder]

Will be visiting this Saturday 1st weather permitting. will update with All sightings here on Sunday.

 

[Abbeybirder]

What a day started out at 5.10am on a dark damp morning arrived at reserve around 8.00am the reserve is just a five minute walk from Attenborough Rail Station.

On entry along the bridleway you get a great taste of what’s to come straight away with pools either side of the main path, at present I should say that the water levels are a little high (haven’t got an idea why though) but on a high note it brings the ducks and swans in a lot closer.

I will put a ling up at the bottom so people who are interested can see a map of the reserve take my word for it this is a place everyone should visit at least once.

Only managed to do a small quota of the reserve but really do intend to visit again in May and maybe again in September yes it’s that good and the banter is great as well everyone around was really friendly.

To get the best out of the birding it’s best to get there early as after around 10am there were a lot of walkers, Dog walkers & bikers around but this still didn’t stop me having a great day.

My highlight of the day was a little different to normal a Bar Headed x Ross’s Goose Hybrid it was by the nature centre information area it was clearly with another Ross’s goose hybrid and was nearly twice the size, also on the reserve was a Egyptian goose and a smaller Egyptian goose possible Hybrid as the white patch on the larger goose was more prominent than on the smaller bird or could they have been a Pair.

The main hide on the Clifton pool is in my opinion one of the best hides I have seen up till now you can see over both pools as the windows are on all sides except for where the doorway is unfortunately today the sun was blazing straight into to the windows overlooking the Clifton pool so after around half an hour I moved to the Kingfisher Hide this again looks over the Clifton Pool and was more accommodating as the sun was out of the way and gave me a chance to see what was around (list at end of review).

Unfortunately no lifers today but five more yearly ticks, loved my views of the following species Goosander, Water rail, Egyptian goose, Bar-headed hybrid & I feel one of the most underrated of our ducks the Tufted Duck (not too many photographs of these beautiful little ducks seem to make it onto the internet these days).

A bit of construction going on around the Nature Information Centre looks like they could be trying to put in new islands to the right of the centre but with the way the water was today very rough and choppy I don’t think much will be done for a while yet.

Love the way they have constructed many watching/viewing areas along all the pools you seem to be able to watch for birds everywhere, the one let down (which had nothing to do with the reserve’s work was that you couldn’t walk the path through the coppiced area to the Attenborough Village as the path was shall we say a little under water as a first timer I wasn’t going to risk it as I didn’t know where the path actually was under the water.

OVERALL VIEW –

I would recommend this great reserve to everyone and you have to visit it at least once (if by public transport trains from Nottingham and Birmingham) I will be returning here a little later in the year and it has the potential to have some great species around well done to everyone on the reserve.

SPECIES SEEN TODAY –


Bar-headed hybrid goose, Black headed gull, Blackbird, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti’s warbler, Chaffinch, Common snipe, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Egyptian goose, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goosander, Great crested grebe, Great tit, Greenfinch, Greylag goose, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser black backed gull, Long tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Pochard, Raven, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Starling, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wigeon, Wood pigeon & Wren

Images -

1 - Bar-headed goose x Ross's/Snow goose hybrid
2 - The very small Egyptian goose (Hybrid I think as it was as small as the tufted duck's close by) any idea's would be grateful if someone can help?
3 - Female Goosander
4 - Angry looking Tuftie
5 - Moorhen in full sun (now love these guys look at the colours on them)

 

[Steve Lister]

The larger of those two geese clearly has Bar-headed in it somewhere but neither of them hint at Ross's to me. More likely one parent is a white domestic Greylag. The white wing tips.

Steve

 

[Abbeybirder]

Never gave white greylag a thought thanks for helping anyone else with any idea's.

 

[Abbeybirder]

Attenborough Visit 01/03/2014

What a beautiful day the suns out water levels are dropping, looking forward to a great days birding.

Arrived just after 7.45am with my new Redsnapper tripod and Gumbell head with my Nikon D7000 so I was hoping for a few good images today, within in minutes I had a Goldeneye then another 2 (1m & 2f) on Church pond just a 10 minute walk from the train station (at my pace that is 5 minutes with everybody else pace).

On the Tween pool I could see a couple of Goosander but with the sun straight in my face a photograph was a no hoper, just a little further down the path leading towards the information centre & café were a small flock of Long tailed tits again on the wrong side of the path for any good photographs.

As I have already hinted the water levels were a lot lower than the last time I visited and there was even a couple of islands with a little mud around the edges I was hoping for a wader or two but we only saw a couple in the shape of Lapwing & Oystercatchers.

After arriving at the Kingfisher hide and waiting for the warden to open the hide up I managed to see my first Chiffchaff of 2014 & eventually got some great views of the male Cetti’s warbler to the left hand side of the Kingfisher hide but again failed to catch up with the Bittern will have to wait till later in the year now as by the time I return here it will have left our shores for a better place.

There were a lot of people around again today but unlike last time most were actually interested in the wildlife on the reserve the main group seemed to consist of young and over 21’s (best way to put it without offending anyone me included lol), didn’t see a sightings board which for a large reserve like this should really be a must (moan over).

Will be walking down the River Trent on my next visit and covering some of the other area’s on this large reserve.

Much more on my blog page from 02 03 2014

blog link - http://www.birding.uk.com/forum/blogs/adrian-k/

 

[coal tit]

I have had my best views of garganey there in spring a few years back a drake and a duck together i was taken back if only a little by their boldness to be out in the open like these two were along with hearing the female calling softly to the drake and a extra bonus was was that they were quite near to main paths knowing this i
i made the most of viewing them through my mirador merlin spotting scope 47x60mm
lens great views for anyone comeing along the unusual thing was nobody did,
knowing how shy these birds usually are will always be a highlight in my birdwatching
memory i managed to get brief views of another drake garganey on another pool
later in the day but a lot further out from the bank side its times like those that i
treasure along with other bird watching memories if you go out enough you will surely have some.

 

[coal tit]

Attenborough Nature Reserve

What a day started out at 5.10am on a dark damp morning arrived at reserve around 8.00am the reserve is just a five minute walk from Attenborough Rail Station.

On entry along the bridleway you get a great taste of what’s to come straight away with pools either side of the main path, at present I should say that the water levels are a little high (haven’t got an idea why though) but on a high note it brings the ducks and swans in a lot closer.

I will put a ling up at the bottom so people who are interested can see a map of the reserve take my word for it this is a place everyone should visit at least once.

Only managed to do a small quota of the reserve but really do intend to visit again in May and maybe again in September yes it’s that good and the banter is great as well everyone around was really friendly.

To get the best out of the birding it’s best to get there early as after around 10am there were a lot of walkers, Dog walkers & bikers around but this still didn’t stop me having a great day.

My highlight of the day was a little different to normal a Bar Headed x Ross’s Goose Hybrid it was by the nature centre information area it was clearly with another Ross’s goose hybrid and was nearly twice the size, also on the reserve was a Egyptian goose and a smaller Egyptian goose possible Hybrid as the white patch on the larger goose was more prominent than on the smaller bird or could they have been a Pair.

The main hide on the Clifton pool is in my opinion one of the best hides I have seen up till now you can see over both pools as the windows are on all sides except for where the doorway is unfortunately today the sun was blazing straight into to the windows overlooking the Clifton pool so after around half an hour I moved to the Kingfisher Hide this again looks over the Clifton Pool and was more accommodating as the sun was out of the way and gave me a chance to see what was around (list at end of review).

Unfortunately no lifers today but five more yearly ticks, loved my views of the following species Goosander, Water rail, Egyptian goose, Bar-headed hybrid & I feel one of the most underrated of our ducks the Tufted Duck (not too many photographs of these beautiful little ducks seem to make it onto the internet these days).

A bit of construction going on around the Nature Information Centre looks like they could be trying to put in new islands to the right of the centre but with the way the water was today very rough and choppy I don’t think much will be done for a while yet.

Love the way they have constructed many watching/viewing areas along all the pools you seem to be able to watch for birds everywhere, the one let down (which had nothing to do with the reserve’s work was that you couldn’t walk the path through the coppiced area to the Attenborough Village as the path was shall we say a little under water as a first timer I wasn’t going to risk it as I didn’t know where the path actually was under the water.

OVERALL VIEW –

I would recommend this great reserve to everyone and you have to visit it at least once (if by public transport trains from Nottingham and Birmingham) I will be returning here a little later in the year and it has the potential to have some great species around well done to everyone on the reserve.

SPECIES SEEN TODAY –


Bar-headed hybrid goose, Black headed gull, Blackbird, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti’s warbler, Chaffinch, Common snipe, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Egyptian goose, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goosander, Great crested grebe, Great tit, Greenfinch, Greylag goose, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser black backed gull, Long tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Pochard, Raven, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Starling, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wigeon, Wood pigeon & Wren

Images -

1 - Bar-headed goose x Ross's/Snow goose hybrid
2 - The very small Egyptian goose (Hybrid I think as it was as small as the tufted duck's close by) any idea's would be grateful if someone can help?
3 - Female Goosander
4 - Angry looking Tuftie
5 - Moorhen in full sun (now love these guys look at the colours on them)

Well that Egyptian goose hybrid is the first time I have seen a hybrid from the species and again I can,t recall a goose breeding with a duck before either would like to know more on that one.

 

[Abbeybirder]

on my last visit 01/03/2014 the Egyptian goose (small) was slightly bigger but not that much bigger I am still confident it IS a hybrid but what with I am not sure but it and the full Egyptian goose where both with the large flock of Tufted (I didn't say or mean to say that it had bred with the tufted but that it was hanging around with them and it looked to be the same size).
It maybe that they stay with the Tufted for feeding purposes as they seem to take a lot of food from the Public while with the tufted ducks.
I would like to say this is a reserve that could do with a little more coverage on here as it is a wonderful place early in the morning when there are very few walkers and cyclists around.

Great to hear about the garganey would have loved to have seen it close up.

 

[coal tit]

Egyptian Goose

on my last visit 01/03/2014 the Egyptian goose (small) was slightly bigger but not that much bigger I am still confident it IS a hybrid but what with I am not sure but it and the full Egyptian goose where both with the large flock of Tufted (I didn't say or mean to say that it had bred with the tufted but that it was hanging around with them and it looked to be the same size).
It maybe that they stay with the Tufted for feeding purposes as they seem to take a lot of food from the Public while with the tufted ducks.
I would like to say this is a reserve that could do with a little more coverage on here as it is a wonderful place early in the morning when there are very few walkers and cyclists around.

Great to hear about the garganey would have loved to have seen it close up.

hi Abbeybirder thanks for the info, its also only recently that the
Egyptian goose has been breeding just in Derbyshire next door they are
colourful birds when you see them close, I also remember some years
back at Attenborough nature reserve it was in November there was a guy
birdwatching there and how right he was I have no idea but I excepted
the fact in my mind he was right perhaps because he looked the type
that knew what he was talking about all I could see was a small bird
in shadow moveing around in this small upright hawthorn bush he just
casually told me it was a firecrest well it would have been a first for me
and I was within 3 feet of this little bird in this bush could I id it could
I heck certainly I was tested to be over inquisitive but I always try to
fight that which I know is the right thing to do when out birdwatching
he / she seemed content to stay in the bush and not move thou I did
and called it a day I,m sure you,ll get to see more at Attenborough.

 

[Abbeybirder]

Hi Coal Tit I am hoping to visit again next month as I think the p[lace as the potential to have a rare bird sooner rather than later and the people around the hides are friendly and very informative.

Hope to bump into you one day for a bit of happy banter.

 

[coal tit]

Thanks abbey birder I,m not getting out like I used to at present but keep in touch and let me know what you see I,d just like to say at Attenborough they also have a
cormorant nesting colony thou we have them in Derbyshire too for a sea bird
they have taken well to comeing in land.

 

[Gronk08]

Popped along on Monday the place was really busy but we saw some great birds.

A Cetti's Warbler was on show between the centre and the over spill car park, and a Lesser White Throat had been reported in the area of the car park, also saw a Weasel along the path between the centre and the car park.
Actually had a Wheater in the Wheater field along with a Little Ringed Plover, a couple of Little Gulls were hanging around with the Black Headed Gulls in front of the Tower hide on the island. A Bitteren was heard booming around the area as well.
Didn't have time though to check out the Black Tern.
Had my first Common White Throat and Sedge Warbler as well for the year.
The Sand Martin hide looks great we quite a few of its name sake checking out the nest holes, with a Common Sandpiper in front of the hide.

Tim.

 

[coal tit]

Attenborough nature reserve.

Popped along on Monday the place was really busy but we saw some great birds.

A Cetti's Warbler was on show between the centre and the over spill car park, and a Lesser White Throat had been reported in the area of the car park, also saw a Weasel along the path between the centre and the car park.
Actually had a Wheater in the Wheater field along with a Little Ringed Plover, a couple of Little Gulls were hanging around with the Black Headed Gulls in front of the Tower hide on the island. A Bitteren was heard booming around the area as well.
Didn't have time though to check out the Black Tern.
Had my first Common White Throat and Sedge Warbler as well for the year.
The Sand Martin hide looks great we quite a few of its name sake checking out the nest holes, with a Common Sandpiper in front of the hide.

Tim.

See you had a good day birdwatching tim very nice also to
hear the bittern booming you mentioned long may he stay fingers crossed.

 

[Gronk08]

See you had a good day birdwatching tim very nice also to
hear the bittern booming you mentioned long may he stay fingers crossed.

Here's hopping so, after all the they have put into the site I do hope so.

Tim