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The bird of the month was the drake Ring-necked Duck that had been resident at Attenborough NR, Nottinghamshire for a few days before it did the decent thing and jumped the county border to Long Eaton GP for a couple of days. The wintering Great Northern Diver at Carsington was joined by a flock of eight Black-necked Grebes, which is a record count for the county. A flyover Wood Lark at Carr Vale DWT NR was only available to the finders and there was a report on the Avenue Washlands Facebook group of a Snow Bunting early in the month. Two stand out events during the month were a record-breaking movement of Whooper Swans heading north with a minimum of 833 seen, and heavy snow mid-month coincided with the spring arrival of Stonechats, which saw over 150 birds recorded with many sites producing record counts.
Just three flocks of Pink-footed Geese were seen early in the month although ten places held on to one or two lingerers, the two resident Red-crested Pochards were seen again, single Common Scoters were seen at four places with nocturnal migration noted at two more sites and an increasingly rare Red-breasted Merganser was found at Greenacres NR (Barrow). The Brampton Cattle Egret from February was reported by the farmer to be still present early in the month, 32 Little Egrets were counted out of the Willington GP roost with up to 20 at 33 more sites whilst the Willington GP roost also held up to four Great White Egrets with four sites hosting two or three birds and ten places recording singletons. Although some duplication in the Trent Valley is likely, it's fair to say that c.20 were in the county during March. Up to four Red Kites were logged at 60+ locations, a Marsh Harrier was seen twice at Willington GP with Hen Harriers logged at ten sites whilst seven Ospreys moved through five places including the earliest ever in the modern era.
March was a poor month for waders with of note, single Avocets at Carr Vale DWT NR and Ogston Reservoir, with the latter site also hosting the only Black-tailed Godwit of the month. Other than these it was staple fare of a few Green Sandpipers and Jack Snipe with a smattering of Ringed Plovers and Dunlin, although the residents like Oystercatchers and Curlews were logged in good numbers. Seven Kittiwakes and nine Mediterranean Gulls were reported, but the only Yellow-legged Gull was at Middleton Moor whilst Carsington Water and Ogston both had a Caspian Gull. Better news on the Lesser-spotted Woodpecker front with birds recorded at three confidential sites. Lowland Merlins were seen at five places (with three more reported from moorland areas), there was an intriguing record from BTO Birdtrack of a Great Grey Shrike at Hady Wood? on 3rd March, more information on this one would be appreciated please. Many wetlands in the south and east of the county support a growing population of Cetti's Warblers and up to six were logged at 19 sites during the month. Finally, all the expected early summer visitors pitched up on time but more unexpected were a Pied Flycatcher at Snake Pass on the 26th (the earliest ever by a week) and a Redstart at Cow Dale on the 28th just two days later than the earliest ever date.
Mark Beevers