Very, very early this morning Old Moor’s redoubtable ‘Early Birders’ had already clocked up an impressive list to start the day. They found: five bearded tit, one Cetti’s warbler, three oystercatcher, seventy-five shoveler, forty pochard and a booming bittern.
It seemed that, although foggy and soggy, the day was off to a great start.
The first news from Wombwell Ings was that both firecrest and yellow-browed warbler were still there, showing consistently. Moreover, there were around fifty golden plover and two stonechat on the Ings as well. Sadly, there was no sign of the recent Richard’s pipit.
A crowd of visitors lined the banks of Wombwell Ings throughout the day
Over at Adwick Washland, seen today were: one grey heron, one little egret, two mute swan, fifty-two Canada geese, twenty-three greylag, one pink-footed goose, nineteen mallard, thirty-seven teal, thirty-four gadwall, thirty-three wigeon, four shoveler, fifty-two coot, fifty-four moorhen, sixty-nine lapwing, twenty-two snipe, 146 black-headed gull, two common gull and fourteen meadow pipit.
Also at Adwick but along the Dearne were: one mute swan, seven mallard, eight teal, six tufted duck, one goosander, one redshank, a kestrel, one sparrowhawk and a chiffchaff.
A chiffchaff from Gary Stones. Thanks Gary.
From Broomhill Flash I am glad to say that the hawfinch was still showing well and, at 11.55, a bar-tailed godwit dropped in for ten minutes and then flew northwest.
At Old Moor, in the Bird Garden and Tree Sparrow Farm, the female great spotted woodpecker was showing nicely and with her were: blackbird, blue tit, bullfinch, chaffinch, collared dove, dunnock, goldfinch, great tit, greenfinch, long-tailed tit, magpie, reed bunting, robin and tree sparrow.
The Reedbed Trail resounded with the songs of ten or so reed bunting but there were also five fieldfare there along with magpie, Canada geese, little grebe, gadwall, tufted duck, stock dove, cormorant and black-headed gull.
Green Lane and the nearby Family Hide were the places to see redwing, chaffinch, reed bunting, shelduck, nine cormorant and around two hundred wigeon and to hear the solitary call of a green sandpiper (though I couldn’t locate it in the fog).
A wigeon walking over the frozen waves of the Mere today
On the Field Pool were three hundred or so more wigeon along with lapwing, pheasant, pied wagtail and a male sparrowhawk.
But it was the Green Lane Screen that drew many watchers’ attentions today. Here were: greenfinch, reed bunting, bullfinch, blackbird, song thrush, goldfinch and seven or so fieldfare.
A fieldfare at the Green Lane Screen this morning
Field Pool East provided the best views of the massed ranks of shoveler whilst at Wath Ings there were two oystercatcher, five cormorant, thirty coot, ten mute swan, fourteen linnet, twenty-two teal and twenty or so lapwing.
Finally, the Wader Scrape today was a sanctuary for two more shelduck, 150 Canada geese, forty more lapwing and a further 140 wigeon.
A teal stretching his wings at Wath Ings this afternoon
I finished my day’s birding with a trip to Wombwell Ings to meet up with two of the Dearne Valley’s most perky and charismatic birds of the moment. The yellow-browed warbler did not disappoint, almost posing for photographs or, as one seasoned watcher put it, “He’ll be signing them next”.
But, if I am honest, it was the firecrest that had really kindled my interest today. This tiny, bright little kinglet is a cracker! Much rarer than the goldcrest and seemingly less rotund, the black and white stripes on the head and those chestnut patches on the shoulders make this bird unmistakable.
But of course, it’s that crest that really catches the eye. Shades of gold and garnet crackle against those ash-black embers and give this little bird real flare.
Fortunately, fellow volunteer Keith Pickering provided a pair of photographs that show the differences between ‘gold’ and ‘fire’ crests beautifully. Thanks Keith.
First the goldcrest, one of maybe six or so flitting about ‘that’ stretch of hedge of Wombwell Ings…
And to finish, here’s that dazzling spark of a bird – the firecrest…
Until next time.