With the rigours of winter’s harsh weather now firmly behind us, spring surges forward. Suddenly everything changes - and daily it seems. Yesterday it was little gulls, today it was the turn of… well, terns. There were also one or two other surprises as well.
The first news of the day was in fact a piece of very late news from dusk, yesterday. Jeff Wragg caught me out by posting a sighting just as the light was fading. A male garganey was spotted on Old Moor’s Wader Scrape along with the two black-necked grebe and seven goosander. Thanks Jeff. Sadly, despite more than one pair of experienced eyes searching for it today, there was no further news.
Just how small is a dunlin? Here’s a size comparison from the Wader Scrape today
Today, beginning at Wombwell Ings there were: three shelduck, two oystercatcher, two redshank, one pink-footed goose and four mute swan.
At Broomhill Flash today were: two mute swan, one curlew, one buzzard, one cormorant, one sand martin, one herring gull, two kestrel, two lesser black-backed gull, two great crested grebe, one arctic tern and two oystercatcher. Later, these were joined by an adult little gull.
Gary Stones reported from Adwick Washland there were: two garganey (think I know where the third might be Gary), nineteen avocet, one little egret, twenty-five plus redshank, one dunlin, two ringed plover, two oystercatcher, five grey partridge, seven plus buzzard, one sparrowhawk, three pink-footed geese, two pochard, three yellow wagtail and – thanks to Paul Gould’s eagle eyes – a white wagtail. Thanks both.
Yellowhammer in the Bird Garden from Steve Gregory. Thanks Steve.
As ever, John Seeviour provided news from Bolton Ings. Here today were: one mute swan, four great crested grebe, four little grebe, four mallard, four gadwall, twenty-one tufted duck, twelve pochard, a pair of goldeneye, one grey heron, one common gull, two cormorant, one female goosander, one buzzard, two bullfinch, a marsh tit, seven chiffchaff, eight willow warbler, seven blackcap, one or more green woodpecker, two grey wagtail, one kingfisher, six sand martin and two reed bunting. Thanks John.
Although he was quiet today – at least while I was at Old Moor – Karen Williams released a fantastic remote camera image of one of the male bitterns ‘getting his boom on’! Look closely at the clearing in the reeds and you’ll see a rare sight indeed. Thanks Karen.
Boom! from Karen Williams. Thanks Karen.
On Old Moor’s Mere today were: two lesser black-backed gull, two oystercatcher, six cormorant, one juvenile herring gull, one Mediterranean gull, six pochard, a sparrowhawk, five buzzard, two shelduck, a peregrine and a kestrel along with Canada geese, sand martin, greylag geese, tufted duck and a thousand or so black-headed gull.
On Green Lane the warbler ‘ante’ was well and truly ‘upped’ with the arrival of up to three lesser whitethroat. These alongside a pair of blackcap, four chiffchaff and three willow warbler. There were also dunnock, bullfinch, robin, blackbird and goldfinch singing out there today.
A dreadful photo but somewhere in there is a lesser whitethroat… honest
The Wader Scrape today provided views of two more shelduck, two more oystercatcher, one dunlin and three common sandpiper.
But today it was Wath Ings hide that a small group of terns chose to either rest at, or feed in front of. The group consisted of two arctic and three common terns and these were present throughout the day. With them were: two lapwing, one curlew, one little grebe, a pair of gadwall, five long-tailed tit, two oystercatcher and two wigeon – a duck species in short supply on the reserve today. There were however, teal, shoveler, tufted duck and mallard.
Add to all of that some sightings of brimstone butterflies in the garden and the picture of the day in the Dearne Valley is complete.
Until next time.
One of three common tern out there today