One of the fascinations of autumn is that feeling of surprise. No matter how many Octobers you’ve been lucky enough to see, you never really know what’s going to happen next. Or when.
Today at Old Moor was a day with two such surprises. The first was that, very early this morning, seven whooper swans were found on the Mere. Sadly, they didn’t hang around for long and left at 07.25 heading east.
The second was that, as folk walked along Green Lane throughout the day, they heard the tell-tale hoarse, rattling calls of thrushes. Like the whoopers, these were also seasonal visitors. In fact, three redwings were seen here today, discreetly feeding on the berries.
A beautiful goldfinch raiding a teasel from Martin Dodd. Thanks Martin!
Over At Adwick Washland, Gary Stones reported some more surprises. He found: two swallow, two stonechat, two redwing, fifteen or more meadow pipit, two green woodpecker, two little egret, a ruff, over sixty wigeon, seven grey partridge, five red-legged partridge and a buzzard. Thanks Gary!
Kenneth Foundation at Bolton Ings, found: three great crested grebe, two pintail (male and female), three red-headed goosander, ten pochard, six tufted duck, twenty-six wigeon, five shoveler, a male stonechat, a green woodpecker and a Cetti’s warbler. Thanks Ken!
At Edderthorpe, Alan Stonier recorded: eight little egret, seven ruff, around 200 golden plover, eleven dunlin, one ringed plover, ten snipe, one stonechat and eight bullfinch. Thanks Alan!
The patterns of a wigeon’s plumage from Allen Holmes. Thanks Allen!
Back at Old Moor, on the Reedbed Trail this morning were three bearded tit, three snipe, a Cetti’s warbler, a kestrel, two water rail, one kingfisher, two reed bunting and fifty or more wigeon. There were also grey heron, great tit, blue tit, robin, wren and cormorant.
In the Bird Garden, among the usual collection of finches was a female great spotted woodpecker whilst in the Tree Sparrow Farm there was a report of a song thrush along with bullfinch, greenfinch and long-tailed tit.
On the Mere were six pochard, sixty lesser black-backed gull, eleven herring gull and an adult yellow-legged gull. There were also fourteen cormorant, a great crested grebe, three little grebe and four common gull. Nearby, on the Wader Scrape, were five or more stock dove among the 250 or so Canada geese.
A common gull preening on the Mere today
Kingfisher seemed to be everywhere today. I have already mentioned one in front of the Reedbed Screen but they were also seen at Field Pool West, in front of the Bittern Hide and skimming across the Mere.
Finally, we turn to Wath Ings. Here today were two kingfisher (see what I mean?), four ruff, a spotted redshank, a common redshank, two or more snipe, three green sandpiper, a peregrine, a water rail, two goldcrest, eleven long-tailed tit, a song thrush, a Cetti’s warbler and a blackcap. As far as I know, there was no sighting of the curlew sandpiper today.
That’s almost it for today except to remind you that Old Moor’s shop will be closed tomorrow though access to the café, the lift, the toilets and the reserve will be unaffected.
I’ll leave you tonight with one final image after a top tip: always check the pylons. Until next time.
A kestrel explores the benefits of a high vantage point
STOP PRESS: Just had reports of two pairs of bearded tit at Wath Ings along with a jack snipe!