I am pretty sure that no-one will be reading this blog tonight and - you know what - that’s absolutely brilliant! Yes, tonight is the night that part of the BBC Springwatch programme comes from Old Moor. Tune in around eight o’clock on BBC 2 or – whenever you like – on iPlayer. I am sure it will be excellent.
But for fellow bird-geeks (beeks?) who don’t feel complete without a summary of the day’s proceedings (- just me then?), here it is.
At Old Moor today, on the Mere, there was no doubt to the number of Mediterranean gull chicks – two! Both looked fine and were being fed by an attentive parent.
Also on the Mere were: mute swan with six cygnets, pochard, shoveler, gadwall, sand martin, one shelduck, swift, tufted duck, lapwing, magpie and around eight lesser black-backed gull.
A shelduck on the Wader Scrape with five of the eight
The Field Pool was a very active place today with: five plus redshank, starling, wren, jackdaw, moorhen, great crested grebe, oystercatcher (at least one chick seen), common tern, willow warbler, swallow, shoveler, two little grebe, goldfinch, woodpigeon, stock dove and – wait for it – one snipe. Yep, first time I’ve ever seen a snipe there in June!
A young oystercatcher takes a bath on the Field Pool today
The reed warbler on Green Lane entertained every single passer-by and on the Wader Scrape were: two shelduck with eight young, one little ringed plover, one avocet, four pochard, tufted duck, three oystercatcher, a bittern (or two), one herring gull and – another surprise – three teal, two males and a female.
Three hungry lesser black-backed gull chicks
Finally to Wath Ings where three more cormorant were joined by: lapwing, one grey heron, greylag geese, a blackcap, two blackbird, coot, tufted duck, mallard, shoveler, a sedge warbler and a pair of pochard with six young.
Pochard ducklings (I know, I have no shame)
Near the Bittern Bus stop, the first bee orchid was reported today though there are orchids all over Old Moor at present and some real beauties on Green Lane.
What you get if you mess with shelducklings
A quick check of my day list revealed sixty bird species seen on the reserve today and a note about some very strange goings-on in the reed beds. Probably more of that later on the telly.
I shall finish tonight with one last image from the day. This one was not taken at Old Moor but at one of our satellite reserves. Just brilliant!
A young avocet
Until next time.