But first a correction. In last night’s blog I wrote that I was pretty sure that breeding Mediterranean gulls would be a first for Old Moor. Thankfully, a birder with far greater local experience, kindly set me straight. Keith Pickering pointed me towards a record of successful Med. gull breeding on the Mere’s island one in 2010.
Back then – and for the first and only confirmed time - the Meds bred. They raised three young, two of which were ringed by Dave Waddington. At the time, this was reported as “a first for South Yorkshire and the first confirmed breeding for the whole county” by the Yorkshire Post no less.
Ah hem, I can’t remember what I was doing in the summer of 2010 but I’m sure it was something important – it certainly wasn’t paying attention to Old Moor’s gull breeding successes obviously.
So thanks Keith. I am indebted to you. Now the question is, ‘Will it happen again in 2018?’ With so many Meds visiting Old Moor at present, the early signs look good. Watch this space for updates as the season progresses.
Meds fed. Mediterranean gull chicks in 2010 from Keith Pickering. Thanks Keith.
Today, a misty start made observations tricky. Nevertheless, watchers were out there and trying their hardest to bring you the news from the Dearne Valley’s reserves.
First stop Bolton Ings where John Seeviour reported: two mute swan, four plus great crested grebe, four little grebe, seven mallard, two gadwall, six shoveler, twenty-one tufted duck, eleven pochard (four female), two cormorant, three grey heron, eight chiffchaff, one blackcap, two willow warbler, one marsh tit, one unringed willow tit (hooray), one common gull, two buzzard, one sparrowhawk, two bullfinch, one reed bunting and two sand martin. Thanks John.
Next to Adwick Washland where a combined effort of a small but select group of watchers produced the following: a pair of garganey, one peregrine, fifteen avocet, around thirty redshank, two ringed plover, two oystercatcher, four snipe, nine grey partridge, thirty plus swallow and two sand martin. There were also: chiffchaff, willow warbler, song thrush, two buzzard, greenfinch, mistle thrush, two kestrel, one shelduck, three little egret, skylark, two curlew, two Med. gull, two pochard, three pink-footed geese, one yellow wagtail and one little grebe.
One unexpected sighting on the reserve came in the form of a basking, male grass snake taking advantage of a small patch of sunshine beside the path.
Last but not least from Adwick today the first (to my knowledge) little ringed plover in the area was seen this morning by Malcolm Gough. Thanks Malcolm.
The drake garganey at Adwick from Ian Morris.
All of which takes us to Old Moor and a bumper list of fifty-seven species seen today. In the Bird Garden and Tree Sparrow Farm, sightings included: tree sparrow, chiffchaff, woodpigeon, mallard, bullfinch (around twenty), dunnock, crow, magpie, robin, reed bunting, greenfinch and at least one yellowhammer.
On the Reedbed Trail today were five pochard (three female), two little grebe, six tufted duck and two great crested grebe along with chiffchaff, coot, mute swan and reed bunting.
Adwick’s two ringed plover today from Ian Morris. Thanks Ian.
On the Mere, near the Bittern Hide, were one wren and two water rail. From the Family Hide (at the other side of the Mere), were: one Mediterranean gull, four cormorant, two oystercatcher, four sand martin, two goldeneye (one female) and two wigeon along with shoveler, greylag geese, Canada geese and teal. And of course, there were a few black-headed gull.
The Field Pool produced sightings of: one more cormorant, one little egret, three teal, two oystercatcher, two snipe, one lesser black-backed gull and around twenty wigeon.
An urban avocet – one of fifteen at Adwick today
Two redshank, two shelduck, three jackdaw, a lesser black-backed gull and a pink-footed goose could be found on the Wader Scrape this afternoon.
And inevitably, that takes us to Wath Ings where today there were sightings of: one little egret, two goldeneye (one female) two grey heron, eight mute swan, twelve shoveler, two oystercatcher and around ten gadwall.
Well, that’s about all I have from today. Not a bad haul of sightings, I’m sure you’d agree and my thanks to all who helped collect them. I shall leave you with one last image from the day. Here a chiffchaff on Green Lane is taking a break from feeding to enjoy a good scratch – I’ll leave the caption up to you!
Until next time.