Watching wildlife can be pretty tough at times. Now I know that nobody likes the boastful, but I think I know you well enough to share a secret talent. I am really good – possibly a bit of an expert – at not seeing things.
Take this evening for example. I was in Wath Ings hide, half an hour before sunset, when I spotted a water rail running along the back of the Willow Pool. I called it, hoping others would get a chance to see this elusive bird. “At the back, to the left of the sluice,” I said.
Without taking my eyes off the bird, I heard everyone else in the hide mutter things like, “Got it” and “That’s brilliant” and “A bit pale” and even “That’s fantastic!” Feeling pleased with myself, I put my bins down as the rail scurried from view.
It was then I noticed that everyone else was looking in the opposite direction - towards a different sluice! I looked to where they were looking. Nothing.
“That’s great Andrew, thanks for that,” said one beaming, “I haven’t seen a bittern for months.”
“A bittern,” I stumbled, pointing in the opposite direction, “It was a water rail, to the left of the sluice.”
Yes, by some amazing coincidence, I had given everyone else precise directions just in time to see a bittern flying across the reedbeds - while I had seen something completely different! Now that’s talent!
One of two handsome pintail drakes seen on the Mere today
At Wombwell Ings this morning, Alan Whitehouse found: one mute swan, two shelduck, 147 Canada geese, 99 wigeon, twenty-one shoveler, eleven mallard, two gadwall, two little egret, one grey heron, fifty-five lapwing, one sparrowhawk, two skylark, two meadow pipit and four redwing. Thanks Alan!
Meanwhile Alan Stonier at Edderthorpe recorded: eight little egret, four ruff, three dunlin, four snipe, one water rail, a stonechat, one kingfisher and no golden plover or lapwing. Thanks Alan!
The news from Adwick Washland was of seven whooper swan first thing. In fact, these seven persisted until 15:57 when they left northwest. Also at Adwick today were two kestrel, sixteen long-tailed tit, eight snipe, 160 Canada geese, four greylag geese, one pink-footed goose, one little egret and a green woodpecker on the viewpoint track. My thanks to Keith Saunders and Gary Stones for those details.
Four of the seven from Gary Stones. Thanks Gary!
And so to Old Moor where in the Bird Garden today were: great spotted woodpecker, dunnock, blue tit, great tit, bullfinch, goldfinch, wren, robin, chaffinch, collared dove, stock dove, redwing (yes, really), blackbird, greenfinch, rabbit, grey squirrel and a willow tit around 12:30 (Hooray!)
In the Tree Sparrow Farm were redwing, kestrel and sparrowhawk among the usual finches and tits.
On the Reedbed Trail today there were two kingfisher, a Cetti’s warbler, a peregrine and a bittern (grr…).
Get counting! A few of the many wigeon on the Wader Scrape today
On Green Lane were more redwing whilst on the Mere were two snipe, two pintail, two herring gull and four common gull. My thanks to Ian Morris for the numbers there.
Finally, at Wath Ings were four green sandpiper, three ruff, two redshank, one green woodpecker, a stonechat, a peregrine, a kestrel, a water rail (BY THE SLUICE!), a jay, a sparrowhawk, three grey heron and a bittern (apparently).
I shall finish this evening with a small mystery. As the cormorant came in to roost this evening and the starling began to gather, one Canada goose brought a friend to the party. Before it came out of the long grass and in the fading light, I was convinced it was a pink-footed goose but then I saw those decidedly un-pink legs. Any suggestions?
Until next time.
‘So you’re Canadian? That’s nice. Who’s your friend?’