Attenborough Nature Reserve

An extra outing in the busy nesting season this month to Attenborough Nature Reserve. The weather on arrival was warm and overcast with just a light breeze. There was plenty of birdsong about as we prepared to set off.

Greenfinch

We started off towards the martins hide at the rear of the visitors centre. We could see a large number of sand martins flying around, with a few swallows amongst them. We spotted a Cetti's warbler, long tailed tit, greenfinch, goldfinch Egyptian goose, mute swan, mallard, tufted duck, Canada goose, coot, great crested grebe and black-headed gull, all on the way to the visitors centre. We passed through the centre to the martins hide. In there we could see a number of sand martins gathering around the many artificial nest sites. There were a large number of flies about which were being eagerly picked off by the martins.

In the garden near the hide we saw a tree sparrow and a Canada goose. We then left the visitors centre, after a little refreshment, and made our way across the bridge towards the river Trent. We spotted three strange but very pretty ducks along the way. These turned out to be red-crested pochard, an introduced duck, now successfully breeding in the UK. 

Red-crested pochard

As we strolled along the hedgerow we could hear blackcaps, chiffchaffs and whitethroats calling and the occasional loud call of Cetti's warblers. We got good views of the blackcap and whitethroat but only fleeting glimpses of the Cetti's warblers.

Blackcap

Whitethroat

We carried on along the path and turned towards the elevated hide overlooking Clifton Pond. We could hear what sounded like reed warblers along the hedgerow. We reached the hide and got a much better view down over the surrounding area. We got an occasional view of the warblers we could hear along the path. These were in fact sedge warblers. The striking light eyebrow (supercilium) being a distinct identifier.

Sedge warbler

We also got good views of reed bunting and dunnock  from the hide. A large and noisy breeding colony of black-headed gulls could be seen on an island in the pond. We then made our way back down the hedgerow getting a good view of a dunnock which seemed oblivious to our presence.   

Dunnock

      

We then strolled down along the bank of the river Trent and turned back towards the visitors centre.  We spotted chaffinch, blue tit and song thrush before reaching the car park for the journey home.

The tally: 37 species.

Cetti's warbler, long tailed tit, greenfinch, goldfinch, Egyptian goose, mute swan,  cormorant, mallard, tufted duck, Canada goose, coot, great crested grebe, black-headed gull, swallow, sand martin, tree sparrow, gadwall, oystercatcher, blackcap, whitethroat, dunnock, shoveler, crow, reed bunting, magpie, little egret, lapwing, pheasant, wood pigeon, sedge warbler, blackbird, blue tit, great tit, moorhen, little grebe, chaffinch and song thrush.