Sleepy Sunday strolls were abandoned today when, just before midday, there was some exciting news from Wombwell Ings. Not one, but two red-necked phalarope had dropped in and looked to be staying.
These small but colourful waders breed in the Arctic regions of North America and Europe. In the whole UK, we tend to see only a few on their migration, so a chance to see two of these charismatic birds was a rare treat.
Here’s what else was seen today at Old Moor…
But it turned out that the phalarope were in a bit of a hurry. By 12:50 they had left Wombwell Ings and were heading east. Cue much head-scratching. ‘Was that it?’ ‘Might they set down at, say, Adwick?’
The answer came fairly quickly – they had indeed landed and right in front of Old Moor’s Family Hide!
Two phalaropes and a black-headed gull from Alex Aylward. Thanks Alex!
But that wasn’t quite the end of the story either. Within a few minutes, the phalarope were off again, only to come down at Wath Ings! It seemed this pair were determined to play a game of ‘catch-us-if-you-can’ with visitors to Old Moor. Some were lucky and in the right place at the right time, others weren’t.
After only a short time at Wath Ings, the birds moved on again, once more heading eastwards and were lost to view.
Another from Alex Aylward. Thanks again!
All of this understandably overshadowed many of the other wonders at Old Moor today: barn owl were seen near their nest box; a hobby hunted over the Wader Scrape much of the afternoon; the Med. gull and chick seemed to be doing fine; and, although a bit few and far between, bittern were seen in flight.
A hobby over the Mere this afternoon.
An optimistic young little grebe warms its foot in the sun
But for many visitors the most incredible sight was a piece of close-up magic performed in front of our very noses at the Reedbed Screen. Here was a small miracle of transformation that began like this…
A dragonfly nymph had crawled up the boards of the Reedbed Screen. Its skin split in a final moult that allowed the adult form to emerge. The dragonfly stepped backwards out of its skin and redistributed its body fluids, pumping up this new shape and – most importantly – those wings…
The wings take a while to harden before the new, adult insect is capable of flight. This one is a four-spotted chaser and was one of several I saw today in the reedbeds.
What’s so special? Well, usually, this transformation happens out of sight, in long grasses. But today, ‘Hey presto’, anyone passing the Reedbed Screen could sit and witness two of these incredible creatures metamorphosing from a distance of only a few centimetres!
Magic!
- Until next time.
Amazing emergence sequence!
i recall seeing phalaropes in Iceland last summer and the most striking thing about them was the sheer speed they move. Never still. So, I’m not surprised folk were struggling to keep track.