Carr Vale Nature Reserve

On arrival the weather was bright with plenty of blue sky about but a very cold wind was blowing and the ground was also very wet and muddy. While we gathered in the car park several birds were spotted in the nearby hedgerows, magpie, wood pigeon, long tailed tit, goldfinch, great tit and a robin. 

We set off on the Stockley Trail leading to the ponds at the far end of Car Vale Nature Reserve. Lots of bird activity in the hedgerows as we progressed. A small number of thrush like birds were seen, they were not easy to get a clear ID against the blue sky. At the time the best guess was fieldfare, a later photo review shows they were actually redwing, a clear light stripe above the eye can be seen, a good indicator if the red under wing isn't obvious.

Redwing

We also spotted wren, blackbird, crow, jackdaw, chaffinch, bullfinch and got a fleeting view of a yellowhammer.

On reaching Carr Vale Pond we took a right hand path leading to the larger ponds on the reserve. We could see black headed gulls, cormorants, Canada geese, greylag geese, heron, wigeon, coot, lapwing, starling, tufted duck and gadwall.

Further along the path beside the main pond we reached a more sheltered viewing screen with a feeder station. We could see willow tit, blue tit, great tit, reed bunting, chaffinch and robins taking turns on the feeder.

Reed bunting

Blue tit

Looking over the pond again we saw moorhen, pochard, little grebe, dunnock and mallard. A cock pheasant flew over our path as we strolled back towards the car park. Nearer the car park we had a good view of Bolsover Castle, and by this time we were all feeling the chill wind and were in need of hot refreshment, so we left to find a café in Bolsover.

Bolsover Castle

The tally: 37 species

Magpie, wood pigeon, long tailed tit, goldfinch, blue tit, great tit, robin, wren, blackbird, crow, jackdaw, chaffinch, redwing, bullfinch, yellowhammer, reed bunting, black-headed gull, song thrush, buzzard, wigeon, cormorant, Canada goose, greylag goose, coot, starling, lapwing, heron, tufted duck, moorhen, gadwall, pochard, little grebe, willow tit, pheasant, dunnock, mute swan and mallard.