OLD MOOR SPOTLIGHT 2025-05-10

OLD MOOR SPOTLIGHT 2025-05-10

Here in our pretty Dearne Valley there have been more arrivals this week as Spring really gets a hold. Many birds are much more active at this time of year as they go about the business of nest building, pairing up and hopefully feeding chicks. So we’ve seen plenty of birds that are expected - such as WHITETHROAT, GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, BITTERN, BEARDED REEDLING and CETTI’S WARBLER - but there have been others that have been welcome additions to any birder’s year list. The WOOD SANDPIPERS are still giving us all the runaround as they appear and disappear as if by magic at any of the reserves around our Valley. A GARDEN WARBLER has also been teasing us by making itself seen (and very much heard) one day but not the next. That’s the nature of these mercurial little warblers, a close relative of the Blackcap. The fact that they have no really remarkable features is remarkable in itself. They’re difficult to see but really rewarding if you do. Listen out for their beautiful tuneful song. 

We even had a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER doing just what its name suggests for a short while but, as expected, it wasn’t around when I got a chance to look for it. Typical. 

Following on from last week’s emergence of several dragon- and damselflies species, we now had even more to add to our list. In addition to the COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY,  AZURE DAMSELFLY,  LARGE RED DAMSELFLY,  BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY,  HAIRY DRAGONFLY and FOUR SPOTTED CHASER, all of which were seen last week, we have now seen SMALL RED-EYED DAMSELFLY and BANDED DEMOISELLE. This last species is particularly striking and not particularly rare on our reserves at the moment. See if you can spot one.

Dive into the world of Dragonflies and book your place on; David Pritchard's Dragonfly guided walk on Wednesday 28th May i

Lastly this week we’ve said a sad ‘farewell’ to our much-loved Welcome Shed. So there will be no more ‘Views from the Shed’ from me, but I hope you’ll join me and the other Volunteers in our new home, just inside Old Moor’s main Visitor Centre. You can be assured that you’ll receive just as warm a welcome there as before. See you soon.