Welcome to the Website of the Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers

This page will be updated on a daily basis, to provide a convenient news service to scarce & rare birds found within the County Nottinghamshire.

The Sightings page and @Nottsbirders Twitter feed are intended to alert birders to scarcer species that they might be interested in seeing within the County.

Records of more common species are still very important, but should preferably be submitted to the county Recorder Andy Hall. These records will then be added to the Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers data-base, to be included in the monthly Newsletter and Annual Reports.

None of these reports have been verified or checked by the Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers' Records Committee.

Records of certain species will not appear here during the breeding season - but please send in your reports regardless.

Please report your Latest Sightings by email to: nottsbirders@gmail.com

Text or Phone 07505101083

or by the Twitter feed @NottsBirders.

Species shown in bold Purple are county rarities with less than 10 birds recorded in Nottinghamshire.

Bold Blue are species with less than 70 birds recorded in Nottinghamshire since 1970.

Bold Red are species with on average less than 20 records annually and Red are species of interest.

Click Here to Access Archived Sightings 2015

Saturday 31st October

Collingham Pits - 2 Yellow-legged Gull [adults, in roost this evening].

Attenborough Nature Reserve - 5000+Starling [murmuration and roost in the Clifton Pit reed-bed].

RSPB Langford Lowfields - 4000+ Starling [smaller numbers into roost this evening] also good numbers of Fieldfare and Redpoll on site.

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] - Grey Plover [from the Chainbridge Scrape viewpoint], Bittern [this evening feeding on edge of reeds, North/East corner of Chainbridge Scrape] and Short-eared Owl [over field next to Chainbridge Pit].

Retford - Merlin [male, Saundby Park 11:50].

Gringley Carr - Hen Harrier [ringtail this morning], Short-eared Owl and 17 Whooper Swans over.

Holme Pierrepont - Great White Egret [circled over Blotts Pit 10:00, before landing on the A52 Pit. Then flew South/West, 10:31] also Woodlark [North/West thru the A52 Pit, 10:36].

Bingham - 2 Raven [overhead 09:30, heading south].

Friday 30th October

Netherfield Lagoons - Bittern [flew across the Slurry Lagoon at dusk] also c.4000 Starling [into roost in the reed-bed].

Thursday 29th October

RSPB Langford Lowfields - 20,000+ Starling [murmuration this evening, viewed from the last Silt Lagoon No. 6 from the path approachirg the Beach Hut gate].

Kilvington Lakes - Azorean Yellow-legged Gull [Adult, West Lake briefly on the deck, before it departed to the SW, 12:25. *mantle tone darker than michahelis but paler than graellsii LBB’s in direct comparison. *dense head steaking forming a solid well defined hood *single mirror on half grown p10 (no visible mirror on p9) *extensive red around gonys in bill +lacked the large size/general bulk and square head of michahelis....more like a compact LBB in size and structure *clearly shows the often described atlantis feature of dark grey band to underside of the secs and prims]. Also present today, 4 Yellow-legged Gull [3 ads, 3w] 1w Mediterranean Gull, 1w Caspian x Herring Gull hybrid and Peregrine.

Bennerley Marsh - 110 Pink-footed Geese [over south, late afternoon] also small numbers of Teal and Wigeon.

Budby Common - Raven, c50 Fieldfare and good numbers of Goldcrest.

Wednesday 28th October

RSPB Langford Lowfields - 15,000-20,000 Starling [into roost this evening].

Bingham - Cattle Egret [Seen for 2 minutes only this morning, after the observer who was driving pulled over to confirm the ID. Feeding in the field east side of the A46 between the A46 exit and Bingham on the right junction of A6097 and Chapel Lane]. No further sign since the initial sighting but 4 Little Egret present.

Annesley and Newstead Country Park - 7 Whooper Swan, Pintail and the Black-necked Grebe [Still present this morning].

Tuesday 27th October

Halam - Red kite [over towards Norwood golf club, 12:20] also 44 fieldfare [same direction 15:15].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] - 3 Dunlin, 3 Common Snipe, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Marsh Harrier (female) [Neatholme Fen], 5 Goldeneye (red-heads) ,3 Common Snipe [Neatholme Scrape] ,5 Ruff [Chainbridge Scrape], c.20 Golden Plover (flying with a Lapwing flock), c.40 Skylark (flying south) [Clayworth Common]. [11:30 to 15:00 visit].

Hoveringham - 2 Red-breasted Merganser [on the Sailing Lake this morning] also Water Pipit [the Sailing Lake, 12:25 to 12:43 at least, tho mobile] and 9 Whooper Swan [east over the Sailing Lake this afternoon].

Attenborough Nature Reserve - Black-tailed Godwit [on the Wheatear Field this morning] also Mandarin Duck [female still by the visitor centre], 2 pairs Red-Crested Pochard [Clifton Pit], Siskin [several small groups around the reserve] and 2000+Starling [flew into the Clifton Pit reed-bed, late afternoon].

Nottingham City - 4 Mandarin Duck [1 drk, Nottingham Canal opposite Sainsburys, 10:00]

Monday 26th October

Netherfield Lagoons - 2 Bittern [flew from left to right across the Slurry Lagoon, viewed from the bund seat, 17:14 and 17:18].

Annesley and Newstead Country Park - Water Pipit [on the middle lagoon briefly, this morning] also Black-necked Grebe.

Sunday 25th October

Collingham Pits - 2 adult Yellow-legged Gull with c260 LBBGs [in the gull roost, this evening] also drk Red-crested Pochard.

Eakring - 7+Brambling, c30 Tree Sparrow, c30 Yellowhammer 10+Greenfinch and c25 Chaffinch [mixed feeding flock, on field at side of the road that runs to Kneesall from Eakring, 14:20 at sk685624].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] - Bittern [reported in flight over Neatholm Fen], 3 Ruff, 3 Fieldfare south, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Little Egret, c20+ Skylark east, 1 Snipe and c200 Pink-footed Geese flew SE over Chainbridge NR Scrape, East early morning also Red Kite [flew west and very low over the Windsurf Pool late evening].

Bentinck Pit Tip - Short-eared Owl, Stonechat, 31 Golden Plover and 49 Skylark [south].

Mansfield - Mandarin [Mansfield Dam, next to the MTFC ground].

Bennerley Marsh - 2 Stonechat [pair at Chat Corner].

Rufford Pit Top - Raven ["cronking" over the pit top, this morning].

Attenborough Nature Reserve - Great White Egret [reportedly flew over the reserve towards Long Eaton Gp's, 09:00] also Yellow-legged Gull [main pond].

Clifton Grove - 7 Siskin [The Rough Wood], Peregrine [over Branshill] and Tawny Owl [back at its winter roost site, Clifton Wood].

Netherfield Lagoons - Woodcock [flushed from the willows in the S/E corner of the reserve, this morning] also c40 Lesser Redpoll [on Willow Herb and Meadowsweet along the Lower Path].

Osberton Estate - 2 Goosander[redheads, this morning].

Budby - 2 Crossbill [Budby Common, this morning].

Saturday 24th October

Netherfield Lagoons - 2 Bittern [over the Slurry Lagoon, at dusk].

Besthorpe NWT - 1000+ Golden Plover [on fields to the north of Meering, but flushed by dog walkers].

Friday 23rd October

Holme Pierrepont - Whooper Swan [adult on the A52 Pit, late afternoon].

RSPB Langford Lowfields - Bittern [three sightings, throughout the day] also c300 Golden Plover.

Bennerley Marsh - 2 Stonechat [pair at Chat Corner].

Thursday 22nd October

RSPB Langford Lowfields - 2 Bittern [one from North Trail, and a second south of Cromwell Trail] also 40 Golden Plover.

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] –11 Ruff [Chainbridge Scrape]. [11:30 to 13:30 visit].

Budby - 12 Crossbill [this morning which flew in from the NW and appeared to land in Seymour Grove, on the southern boundary of the heath] also Woodlark [flew North], Stonechat, 2 Raven, 25 Fieldfare, and 10+ Lesser Redpoll.

Wednesday 21st October

Barnby in the Willows - Short-eared Owl [beside the River Witham, circling with a Grey Heron].

Pleasley - Willow Tit [on the Meden Trail, 15:00].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] - 9 Ruff and 6 Golden Plover [Chainbridge NR Scrape].

RSPB Langford Lowfields - Brambling [at least 3 in the hedge facing the car park]. Also Green Sandpiper on the lagoon.

Halam - 17 Siskin and 11 Redwing over.

Tuesday 20th October

Netherfield Lagoons - Bittern [flew across the slurry lagoon at dusk], Mandarin duck briefly and 5,000 Starling came in to roost.

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – Hen Harrier [Ringtail, Blaco 15.30].

Budby - 4 Common Snipe, c15 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Raven and Kingfisher this afternoon

Besthorpe NWT - 2 Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Yellowhammer and Kingfisher this morning.

Southwell - c50 Pink-footed Geese [South over this morning].

Monday 19th October

RSPB Langford Lowfields - 1,000+ Starling [roosting in silt lagoon reedbeds, this evening].

Hickling - Barn Swallow [thru,17:45] and 3 Fieldfare [this morning 07:30].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – Mediterranean Gull [1w, Neatholme scrape, 16.00] also juv Marsh Harrier, drk Goldeneye and 6 Common Snipe. 3 Common Snipe, 3 Little Egret [Neatholme Fen], 3 Little Egret, 110 Goldfinch and 130 Golden Plover [Chainbridge NR Scrape, East], drk Pintail and 5 Common Snipe [Chainbridge NR Scrape, West] and Peregrine [Tiln North].

Netherfield Lagoons - Bearded Tit [single 1w, in reeds on the Slurry Lagoon early afternoon], Mandarin [drk, flew in with a squadron of Greylag onto the Slurry Lagoon], 3 Common Snipe and up to five Water Rail and 5,000 Starling [into roost, prio to dusk].

Burton Joyce - Hobby [an exceptionally late bird over Burton Joyce, this afternoon].

Papplewick - Stonechat [pair on Papplewick Moor this morning].

Gunthorpe Gravel Pits - 22 Little Egret [on Dollar pond, this morning] and Brambling.

Sunday 18th October

Collingham Pits - 3 Yellow-legged Gull [in with c.380 LBBGs on Ferry Lane Lake this evening].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – Common Scoter [female/immature, still on Bellmoor Lake in North/East corner from the IVNR Visitor Centre], Common Greenshank [Tiln North], 10 Golden Plover [Clayworth common], 1+ Common Snipe, 2 Pintail [including a full plumaged male], 2 Ruff, 3 Redwing [Chainbridge Scrape], c.200 Pink–footed Geese [moving north ,to the east of the reserve], 158 Red-crested Pochard [Doughty’s Pond].

Warsop Vale - 116 Pink-footed Geese [over West, late afternoon].

Attenborough Nature Reserve - Stonechat [from the Tower hide on the left in the reeds] also Mandarin [female, still near the visitors Centre].

RSPB Langford Lowfields - c500 Starling [left the reedbed, 07:30], 41 Pink-footed Geese [East over, 12:48] Brambling [near car park in seed crop and hedgerow] also 40 Golden Plover, 40 Fieldfare, 50 Redwing and Siskin over.

Holme Pierrepont - Rock Pipit [flew South/East from A52 pit, 10:05] also Black-tailed Godwit [again present on Blotts Pit].

Mansfield - c40 Pink-footed Geese [East over Strawberry Hill this morning].

Netherfield Lagoons - Bearded Tit [several heard calling in the Slurry Lagoon reed bed this morning], 8 Golden Plover [with Lapwings on the Slurry Lagoon before flying off to the South East], Brambling [on the Causeway], Fieldfare [through in 3 flocks], 4 Chiffchaff [along the Ouse Dyke] and several Redpoll, Siskin and Goldcrest.

Clifton Grove - c250 Fieldfare [east over Branshill, 10:30].

Saturday 17th October

A60 Between Spion Kop & Warsop - Little Owl [perched on top of street light this evening].

Budby Common - 6 Fieldfare [17:00].

Attenborough Nature Reserve - Mediterranean Gull [adult, on Clifton Pit this afternoon] also Stonechat.

Clumber Park - Mandarin Duck [11 downstream of the ornamental bridge].

Bestwood - c140 Pink-footed Geese [high over Lamins Lane, heading East this morning] also Raven ['kronking' over, afternoon].

RSPB Langford Lowfields - 3 Brambling [feeding in wild bird cover crop opposite car park, perching up occasionally in bushes this morning].

Friday 16th October

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – Common Scoter [female/immature, still on Bellmoor Lake in North/East corner from the IVNR Visitor Centre 15:00 at least], 2 Common Greenshank, 1 Common Snipe, 5 Pintail including a full plumaged male [Chainbridge Scrape], 4 Ruff, 1 Common Greenshank [Tiln North Restoration Area], 1 Green Sandpiper [Clayworth Common], 5 Red-crested Pochard [Chainbridge Pit], 69 Red-crested Pochard [Doughty’s Pond].

Newington - 6 Ruff [Hagg Lane Flash].

Collingham Pits - Brambling [this afternoon].

Selston - Red Kite [over, 13:30].

Wollaton Park - 16 Red-crested Pochard [10 drk's, south end of the lake] also Grey Wagtail.

Center Parcs - 38 Redwing [over west this morning].

Thursday 15th October

Netherfield Lagoons - c2000 Starling [several thousand Starlings are now coming into roost each evening].

Holme Pierrepont - Rock Pipit [on A52 pit this afternoon] and Black-tailed Godwit [still on Blotts Pit].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – Common Scoter [female/immature, still 12:30 Bellmoor Lake, near the visitor centre].

Besthorpe NWT - c. 40 European Golden Plover [Meering].

Collingham Lakes - 5 Eurasian Curlew [Silt Pond], 5+ Fieldfare, c. 40 Redwing.

Attenborough - Widgeon and Gadwall [good numbers between Long Lane Crossing and the River Trent] also single Cetti's Warbler.

RSPB Langford Lowfields - Redwing [several small groups this morning over Phase 2].

Annesley and Newstead Country Park - Redwing [1000+ through this morning].

Wednesday 14th October

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – Common Scoter [female/immature, 09:30 Bellmoor Lake] also here were 3 Chiffchaff, 8 Goldcrest and 30 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Fieldfare, 7 Redwing [over Chainbridge Lane], 5 Ruff, 1 Common Greenshank [Tiln North Restoration Area], 9 Little Egret, 2 female Pintail, c100 Pink-footed Geese [flew NW] and 7 Red-crested Pochard [Chainbridge Pit], 1 Common Greenshank, 2 Pintail and 5 Little Egret [Chainbridge NR Scrape], 220 Pink-footed Geese at 12:35, and 50 at 13:45 [all heading north, travelling to the east of the reserve], c.40 Red-crested Pochard [Doughty’s Pond] and 4 Little Egret [Neatholme Fen].

Rufford Pit Top - 2 Peregrine, Raven and a big influx of Redwing and Goldcrest.

Skegby - 30 Pink-footed Geese [east over 12:05].

Osberton - c200 Pink-footed Geese [over South/East this morning].

Blyth - Hobby [a very late bird drifted over Blyth this morning] also Redwing over.

Annesley and Newstead Country Park - 745 Redwing and 6 Brambling [west this morning], also 2 Raven.

Tuesday 13th October

Annesley and Newstead Country Park - Black-necked Grebe [still present on the top lagoon], 480 Redwing [through west] and Raven.

Netherfield Lagoons - Stonechat [male, at the back of the Wader Scrape], 2 Redwing over and 4 Water Rail [heard calling from the Slurry Lagoon reedbed].

Clifton Grove - 5 Siskin [over the Rough Wood this evening] and 12 Redwing [flew East].

Osberton - Brambling [on the Osberton Estate this morning].

Gotham - Raven [West over Cheese Hill, 08:30].

Nottingham City - 2 Peregrine [on the Newton Building this morning].

Monday 12th October

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – Common Greenshank, 5 Common Snipe, 4 Little Egret and 23 Golden Plover[Chainbridge NR Scrape, East], 9 Ruff [Tiln North, Restoration Area], 9 Red-crested Pochard and 2 Little Egret [Chainbridge Pit], 40 Golden Plover [flew over Clayworth Common, with 3 Ruff in tow], 2 Blackcap [Cross Lane] and Single female Marsh Harrier [Cross Lane Marsh].

Barton-in-Fabis - c350 Northern Lapwing [in a field by the A453 this evening].

Maun Valley Trail - 50+ Redwing [over Warren Farm 09.20, heading East] and Chiffchaff [calling from Warren Farm].

Sunday 11th October

Southwell - Yellow-browed Warbler [seen in the town centre moving towards Southwell Minster with roving tit flock at 07:40. Tit flock relocated in park at 13:00 with the YBW possibly heard calling, though not seen here].

RSPB Langford Lowfields - 3 Northern Pintail, 9 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, 13 Redwing, Kingfisher, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 3 Siskins and 30 skylark over

Gedling country park - Stonechat [female], Northern Wheatear [female], Common Snipe, 3 Tawny Owl and 2 kingfisher.

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – 9 Ruff, Water Rail, 3 Common Snipe and 1 Common Greenshank [Chainbridge NR Scrape], 2 Common Snipe [Neatholme Scrape] and Green Sandpiper [over the Willows].

Attenborough Nature Reserve - Siskin [small flock by Works Bridge this morning] also Mandarin Duck [female, still by the Visitors Centre].

Clumber Park - Greater Scaup [1w drk, this morning].

Saturday 10th October

Kilvington Lakes - 3 Yellow-legged Gull [East Lake].

Friday 9th October

A46 near Bingham - Little Egret [pond 10].

Blyth - Hawfinch [over].

Holme Pierrepont - Rock Pipit [on A52 Pit this morning], Black-tailed Godwit [Blotts Pit].

Hucknall – 11 Common Buzzard [Town Centre].

Thursday 8th October

Carlton – Northern Wheatear [female, Carlton cemetery].

Norwood Park – 650 - 700 Corvids [roosting at golf club].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – c. 40 Pink-footed Goose over south, 3 Chiffchaff ,2 Blackcap [Neatholme Lane], 2+ Swallow [Neatholme Scrape], 1 cream crown Marsh Harrier, 14+ Ruff, 15+ Common Snipe , 3+ Greenshank, Ringed Plover [Chainbridge Scrape], 4 female and 2 drk Red-crested Pochard [Chainbridge Pit] - 11:30 to 16:30 visit.

Besthorpe NWT – c.10 Siskin [Meering] and 2 Green Sandpiper [Mons Pool].

Collingham Lakes - 3 Northern Pintail, 2 Eurasian Curlew, 1 Green Sandpiper [Silt Pond].

Wednesday 7th October

Attenborough Nature Reserve – Jack Snipe [Clifton Pit].

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – 6 Common Crossbill [in pine trees, west of Bailey bridge, River Idle 09:30].

Tuesday 6th October

Lound [Idle Valley Nature Reserve] – 15 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper, Water Rail , 8 Golden Plover.

Netherfield Lagoons – Short-eared Owl [over reedbed at 9:55am].

Attenborough Nature Reserve – Mandarin Duck [female, Visitors Centre], 70 + Wigeon, 1 Common Snipe, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black–backed Gull [Clifton Pit], 1 immature Goldeneye [Main Pond],1 Red-legged Partridge [Riverside Path], 8+ Cetti’s Warbler, 3+ Chiffchaff [11:30 to 15:30 visit].

Hucknall - 2 Bullfinch and 1 Redwing [private garden].

Monday 5th October

Holme Pierrepont - 1 Black-tailed Godwit [Skylarks this morning].

Mapperley Park - 4 Redwing [07:30, Carrington Playing Field].

Sunday 4th October

Rufford Country Park – Marsh tit, 1 Siskin ,2 House martin [still feeding young].

Clumber Park – 1 Grey Wagtail, Mandarin Duck [female, Ornamental Bridge], Grey Wagtail, 1 Cetti’s Warbler [Hardwick Water Splash].

Budby Flash – 2 Grey Wagtail, 5+ Common Snipe.

Nottingham University - Kingfisher [Jubliee Campus].

Gedling Country Park - 2 Water Rail [top pond A.M].

Attenborough Nature Reserve -10 Golden Plover [over river], 12 Redpoll, 6+ Cetti's Warbler, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff.

Clifton - Raven [over Sunninghill Drive Clifton this afternoon].

Carlton - Common Buzzard [Playing fields Coningswath road].

Saturday 3rd October

Kingsmill Reservoir -Goldeneye [male], also 100+ lapwing present [afternoon]

Carlton - Common Buzzard [Playing fields Coningswath road].

Clumber Park - Bittern [at the water ford 08:150, then flew over the reed bed before dropping in].

Friday 2nd October

Gedling - Red Kite [flying over].

Thursday 1st October

Attenborough Nature Reserve [Clifton Pond] - Northern Pintail [2 female], Ruff [2 adults arrived on gull island around 18:00], Lapwing [200 on islands], Snipe [3 on islands], 35 Wigeon, 26 Shoveler and 40 Teal.

Carlton - 3 Redwing [SE over Carlton Cemetery (11:00)].

Hoveringham - Purple Sandpiper [flew through the sailing lake early afternoon but no further sign] also single Rock Pipit [feeding along the shoreline].

Beeston - Grey Wagtail, 4 Swallow, Chiffchaff (singing), large party L.T.Tits, at least 3 Cetti's Warbler [between Beeston Lock and Meadow Lane rail crossing this am]

Many thanks to:

Mervyn Bartle, Chris Bell, Graham Beeley, Nigel Bosworth, Robin Brace, Craig Brookes, Rich Box, Rob Carlyle, Phil Carter, Alan Clewes, Miles Cluff, Carl Cornish, Nick Crouch, Brian Cuttell, Rod Dean, Mark Dillingham, Steven Donagain, Steve Dunn, Les Fisher, Steve Furber, Derek Furley, Chris Grimshaw, Gary Hobson, John Hopper, Darren Housman, Steve Howard, Peter Jones, Mike Leatherland, Tony Lowry, Sorrel Lyall, John Mowbray, Peter McCann, Josse Mcmahon, Graeham Mounteney, Melissa Nicklin, Dean Nicholson, Martyn Perkins, Peter Playle, Clive Prescott, Ralph Radford, Charles Richardson, Jason Reece, Simon Roberts, Jace Stag, Iain Storey, Mick Tring, Robert tyler, Colin Scott, Tony Wardell, Daryl Watson, Amanda White, Mark wilde, John Wilson, Edward Winfield, Rob Woodward

@NottsBirders Twitter Feed, Lound Bird Club, RSPB Langford Lowfields, Netherfield Wildlife Group.