Calke Abbey
The Car Park Bird-Hide
Such a small hide, easily overlooked in the corner of the car park, looks out onto a small clearing surrounded by trees and with feeders in the middle. A range of woodland birds use the feeders, generally settling in the trees, swooping down to take some nuts or seeds then returning to the trees before disappearing, returning again a bit later for more food.
On most days you can expect to see a dozen or more species, and the feeders and trees are rarely empty. A family of rats currently lives beneath one of the trees and they thrive hoovering up the food the birds drop.
The Buzzard in this set was taken just outside the hide circling above the deer paddock.
Brown Rat
Greenfinch
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Jackdaw
Brown Rat
Linnet
Nuthatch
Collared Dove
Female Pheasant
Collared Dove
Willow Tit
Blue Tit
Blue Tit
Nuthatch
Goldfinch
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Willow Tit
Dunnock
Chaffinch
Robin
Robin
Buzzard