It was a wild day and the reedbeds of Old Moor were restless. A stiff south-westerly wind surprised many and even turned woodpigeon into grey bullets across the Mere. To the reserve’s raptors however, this was just the advantage that they had been waiting for. These aerial experts used the headwind to confound their prey and provide them with an additional weapon in their hunt for meal.
It was therefore doubly hard to count waders as every ten minutes or so, another hunter lifted everything to the skies. Yet, the hardy souls out there today did their utmost to provide us with a record of what was seen. A huge 'thank you' to everyone who added their sightings into the mix.
One of the youngest was Ava, aged six, who – along with her father – saw a female sparrowhawk, a female kestrel and a cream-crowned marsh harrier. The latter, she told me excitedly, caught and ate a coot! Top work Ava!
A marsh harrier attempting to catch a teal – it missed
Rough weather doesn’t deter Old Moor’s earliest of watchers of course and this morning, long before many of us had stirred, the ‘Early Birders’ reported: forty-three cormorant, 317 teal, 168 wigeon, eight-two shoveler, 180 gadwall, three Cetti’s warblers, ‘one plus’ bearded tit and one willow tit (hooray!) They also found two garganey, one curlew sandpiper, thirty-eight ruff, one greenshank, five green sandpiper, two dunlin, nine ringed plover and fourteen little egret.
At Edderthorpe, John Clarkson found: two pintail, 450 teal, twenty-one wigeon, one black-tailed godwit, seven ruff, four dunlin, four snipe, thirty-one golden plover, four little egret and around 650 lapwing. Thanks John!
A buzzard watches the marsh harrier’s attempt with interest
Back at Old Moor, in the Bittern Hide watchers saw four – yes 4 – kingfisher fishing this morning. They also saw a sparrowhawk this afternoon and a wheatear.
On the Mere today – as well as speeding woodies – were two garganey, 317 teal, seventy-five shoveler, 153 wigeon and 185 gadwall.
The same poor teal was then targeted by the peregrine who received a face full of water for its trouble!
I dropped in to the Wader Scrape hide this afternoon and found that the place had been taken over by 158 Canada Geese and four ruff. I could find no sign of the earlier reported pair of wheatear though I know that many saw them.
Until the raptors began to take an interest, Wath Ings’ main marsh was where you could find the curlew sandpiper, thirty-eight ruff, eleven ringed plover, five green sandpiper, one greenshank, two dunlin and – and I can scarcely believe I am typing this in October – an avocet that dropped in at 10:05.
Start looking for the curlew sandpiper on the far right of Wath Ings Hide if not Field Pool East.
Elsewhere at Old Moor today but of no fixed abode were: a great spotted woodpecker, a green woodpecker, two jay, six goldcrest, ten chiffchaff and fifteen plus snipe. A wren was reported in the Bird Garden and, late this afternoon, came reports of two common sandpiper at Broomhill and one on the Mere at Old Moor. Again, that’s a bit of turn-up for October!
Ringed plover were best viewed from Wath Ings this afternoon
But, for most visitors including me, the birds of the day were probably those raptors. Today’s list included two sparrowhawk (male and female), three kestrel, two buzzard, one hobby, one peregrine and one marsh harrier. That’s fair amount of avian predators for one day’s watching!
A quick reminder that this coming Saturday there is a Stargazing Event at Old Moor and I gather places are still available. Details and booking information can be found here.
A sparrowhawk in the Tree Sparrow Farm from Steve Milner. Thanks Steve!
That’s about it for today. If you visited and can add to the sightings we’d love to know. Just leave a comment below. For me, that peregrine was the star of the show but what about you?
Until next time.