It was definitely autumnal in the Dearne Valley today though oddly mild for the backend of October. A thick cover of cloud this morning might have had something to do with the temperatures and the fact that sunshine was rationed to the afternoon.
Not that this is a barrier to a great day’s watching of course! Sadly, I only had time for a brief visit to the Reedbed Screen this afternoon. There the newly cleared channel is proving irresistible to the reserve’s kingfishers. Yes, that was 'more than one' as today I watched two of these dazzling birds fish their way along the channel at the same time; one on the left, the other on the right.
Eventually one came to rest on the willow just in front of the screen. I could see its attention was divided between looking out for a meal and for its rival. The other bird, perhaps tired, also decided it wanted a willow perch and flew towards it.
For a moment I thought they might sit side-by-side. But no, with a little disgruntled peep from the seated bird, both decided that they’d look elsewhere for a meal. For less than a second, the air above the channel fizzed with two bolts of electric blue and then was quiet again.
A greedy little grebe from John Leigh. John says this grebe wasn’t catching anything but then hit the jackpot with this whopper that was almost too big for it to swallow! Thanks John!
First news this morning came from Alan Whitehouse at Wombwell Ings. There he saw: two mute swan (one young), three shelduck, eighty-five wigeon, twenty-nine teal, nine shoveler, eleven mallard, one tufted duck, one grey heron, eighty-nine lapwing, around eighty golden plover, eighteen redwing, two redpoll, five reed bunting, one yellowhammer and three skylark. Thanks Alan!
At Edderthorpe, Alan Stonier found eight little egret, 171 golden plover, four ruff, eleven dunlin, two green woodpecker, two great spotted woodpecker, one pintail, five pochard and around eighty redwing. Nearby there were also two song thrush, two tree sparrow and a goldcrest. Thanks Alan!
Back at Old Moor, in the courtyard just outside the Visitor Centre were common darter dragonflies, red admiral and a goldcrest. Nearby, in the Bird Garden, the recent great spotted woodpecker was present again today.
October romance from Lilian Hatch. Thanks Lilian!
In the Tree Sparrow Farm today were: long-tailed tit, tree sparrow, bullfinch, greenfinch, coat tit, blue tit, great tit, stock dove, robin, dunnock, reed bunting, pheasant, magpie and crow. There was also another visit from the male sparrowhawk. Today he sat, partially concealed until a flock of long-tailed tits called his bluff and moved him on. The tits repeatedly gave their clicking alarm calls, surrounded him and made any chance he might have of an ambush untenable. He took the hint.
On the Reedbed Trail today were sightings of kingfisher, wren, kestrel, cormorant, wigeon, tufted duck, little grebe, gadwall, mallard, snipe and little egret. Part way along that trail, at the Bittern Bus Stop, a stoat was seen today.
That stare! A male sparrowhawk in the Tree Sparrow Farm today
Little egret were seen from the Family Hide today too along with forty lesser black-backed gull, four herring gull, two common gull and one great black-backed gull. On the Wader Scrape, two of yesterday’s pintail were reported once again and a Cetti’s warbler was reported as being nearby, on Green Lane.
Finally, at Wath Ings today were: seven ruff, four green sandpiper, one water rail, a peregrine, one kingfisher, two dunlin, two sparrowhawk, two goldcrest and a large number of lapwing. There was no mention of the recent spotted redshank in today’s observations.
How big is a great black-backed gull compared to say, a Canada goose? This handy comparison from Ian Morris might help. Thanks Ian!
Sadly, that’s all I have for this evening. Until next time.