Spend any time watching birds and you’ll come across the phrase, “little brown job”. Watchers use it to describe a whole range of small birds that are hard to identify. And they don’t get much ‘littler’, browner or more ‘jobby’ than a garden warbler!
One highly respected authority on birds describes garden warblers as having a “lack of features". Another calls them, “anonymous” in appearance.
So, when I heard that a garden warbler had been picked up on Old Moor’s Green Lane, I knew it was most probably identified by song.
Experienced listeners describe the song as bit ‘blackcappy’, maybe even a tiny bit ‘nightingale’ in places. But then there’s the harsh, scratchy notes as the bird goes up and down the scale and the fact that the garden warbler’s song is much faster - think blackcap after a double espresso!
There’s no doubt about it, this one takes a bit of practice so I doff my (black)cap to those at Old Moor who reported it today.
Two lesser black-backed gulls, one beak – my photography’ll rival Karen’s soon!
First news this morning from Old Moor was that on the Reedbed Trail there were: two bittern (with another at Bolton Ings), three water rail, four little grebe, two reed warbler, one snipe and six pochard. In fact at least one bittern was booming here throughout the day.
John Clarkson reported from Edderthorpe that a male garganey was still present along with seven buzzard and two swift. Thanks John.
On Wombwell Ings, Gerald Lax recorded: two redshank, one avocet, a pink-footed goose, one white wagtail and a greenshank. Thanks Gerald.
On Bolton Ings were: the ‘third’ bittern, two black-necked grebe, two great crested grebe, a whitethroat and one grasshopper warbler.
Meanwhile, at Adwick Washland, Nigel Smith reported – wait for it – twenty-five avocet, eighty-seven lapwing, sixteen redshank, two ringed plover, five grey partridge, one buzzard, one sparrowhawk, three swift, eight wheatear, five swallow, two singing willow warbler and two singing sedge warbler.
With them were [deep breath], one grey heron, one little egret, one little grebe, four mute swan, twenty-one Canada geese, forty-one greylag, four pink-footed geese, seventeen mallard, twenty-six gadwall, six shoveler, three teal, one garganey, sixteen tufted duck, twenty-five coot, seventeen moorhen and ten black-headed gull. [Phew] Thanks Nigel.
A common sandpiper from the Mere today
In a quick break from the birds, one visitor today made a list of the plants in flower in Old Moor’s Bird Garden. They spotted: cowslip, honesty, comfrey, borage, bittercress, violets, dandelion, garlic mustard, red dead nettle and brunnera. Any advance on that list, plant people?
There were also a few birds noted: dunnock, stock dove, bullfinch, chaffinch, robin, pheasant, magpie, yellowhammer and woodpigeon.
On the Mere today were: two Mediterranean gull, one common sandpiper, a common tern and flyover from a curlew. It almost goes without saying that there were also a good many black-headed gull, Canada geese, greylag, pochard, gadwall, jackdaw, sand martin, swallow, house martin, oystercatcher, lapwing, mallard, moorhen, coot, little grebe and shoveler.
Later this afternoon there were a few additions to the list above: - two arctic tern, a little gull and a cream-crowned marsh harrier no less.
A restless shelduck this afternoon
On the Field Pool were linnet, lapwing, mute swan, pochard, tufted duck and a single wigeon. Enjoy that last one while you can folks.
The Wader Scrape provided views of four shelduck, two lesser black-backed gull, one oystercatcher, a buzzard and four swift together with gadwall, shoveler, coot, black-headed gull and Canada geese.
And so to Wath Ings where today there were: ten mute swan, ten gadwall, nine tufted duck, two oystercatcher, five lapwing, one grey heron, ten swift, one great crested grebe, one cormorant, four pochard, a willow warbler, one pheasant, three Canada geese and three little grebe.
That handsome greenshank on Wombwell Ings today
The species count for Old Moor today was a healthy fifty-nine and of course, as I type this, the reserve is still open. My advice? – Visit now and find that sixtieth species for us… Or just enjoy the sheer diversity of what’s out there. Oh, and look out for a little brown job on Green Lane.
Until next time.