First Migrants

Well, first migrants plural but species singular with Chiffchaff at Hill Hole Quarry and Belgrave this morning. I leave the confines of Belgrave tomorrow to start my new job in sunny South Derbyshire, just around the corner from Albert Village Lakes. I'll quite miss the urban birding around here that I've been doing for the last three or so years but hopefully my new local patch of Albert Village and Oakthorpe flashes will offer up some good pre and post work birding......

Big(ish) Bird Race

I hatched a plan a few weeks ago of a Big Bird Race with a view to having a serious assualt at the county (excluding Rutland) record of 110 set by Messrs Fray and Gray back in 2007. However after several beers in the Steam Trumpet (Thornton's new pub) last Wednesday, Dave and Andy came up with a twist to the original plan. We would only visit sites within walking distance of the village. This will give us time at Thornton Reservoir, Browns Wood and surrounding National Forest land and Bagworth Heath. We are also hoping to take in the pits at Brascote. We have set outselves an ambitious target of 90 species and we are planning May 1st as the day