Atlas

I helped Lindsay McDougall do some Atlas work yesterday morning at Havannah NR.
On the way to Havannah we stopped at the roadside at Dinnington to look for Little Owl but there was no sign.
The rain turned to patchy drizzle as we walked around the site.
Before yesterday I had only heard of Atlas work but wasn’t sure exactly what it was.
Areas like Havannah must be the more exciting areas of the grid as I can imagine some areas can be a bit bleak especially in winter; still it’s a good chance to explore sites you would normally overlook or never even know existed.

We tried to do a circular route of the site starting in the car park, go through the first area of woodland, checking the bordering fields, check the ponds and then check the rest of the woodland leading up to the new plantation near the Sage building.

Despite the drizzle the birds were still in full song with Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler the first birds of the day. 11 Willow Warbler were recorded in total.
Pied Wagtail flew over and Robin, Wren and Blackbird were all over the reserve.

In the fields a pair of Lapwing with three young were tying to camouflage themselves in the mud.
A pair of Yellowhammer were feeding on the ground next to the pond and another was calling from the backfields, as was a Reed Bunting.
A pair of Moorhen with young and 3 Mallards were on the pond.
A Garden Warbler was singing from a tree on the woodland track and now I am starting to notice the differences in Warblers songs such as Garden Warblers and Blackcaps.
2 Blackcaps and three Whitethroats were also singing on the track.
After scanning the farm fields just outside the reserve we headed to Hazelrigg to record the species absent from the reserve such as House Sparrow, Swift and Swallow.

We quickly checked Arcot Pond on the way back but a pair of Common Terns were the only birds of interest.

4 Hours, 3 County Ticks, 2 New Sites and 1 Lifer.

Out again with Steve holliday this afternoon in the south of the county for a change.
First stop, Dinnington in search of Little Owl. We searched the Owl's usual tree but no sign, so we checked the trees to the right and there a few feet off the ground was a Little owl half asleep against the tree trunk, to far away for a photo of one of my favourite birds- New County tick.
We then went to Havannah Nature Reserve, somewhere I have never been. I didn't know what to expect and was suprised to see a slightly different reserve perfect for Snipe and wintering duck.
A Green Woodpecker flew across from the field behind the first small pond we came to- County tick.
We checked the big pond and flushed two Mallard and a Fox which ran around the pond in and out of the reeds. Only one common Snipe flew overhead as did 500+ Woodpigeon. Blue tit, Long Tailed tit, Reed Bunting and a Goldcrest were also in the trees.
We then noticed 9 Birds on the tree tops a couple of hundred yards away which were 3 bright red male and 6 duller green female Crossbill - Lifer, which stayed for about five minutes before flying east.
A good half an hour at a site which I will definetly visit again.
Next we went to Prestwick Carr (another new site for me) where after walking around most of the site in an hour, saw 2 buzzard and flush a jack Snipe, they were the highlights.
We stayed until sun set but no sign of any Hen Harriers.
We might be heading up the cost in the afternoon tommorrow, weather permitted.