Mid-August at Old Moor provides watchers with a terrific range of birds. Those summer visitors (swift, sand martin, hobby) begin to overlap with returning autumn migrants (sandpipers, dunlin, knot). The result is an incredibly varied picture as you can see below…
Elsewhere in the Dearne Valley, at Bolton Ings the sightings were provided by John Seeviour and can be found here. Thanks John.
Meanwhile, from Adwick Washland, Gary Stones provided a list that included terrific views of a cuckoo. Thanks Gary.
Cuckoo today at Adwick from Gary Stones
Amazingly the great white egret is still with us at Old Moor. Today it was reported both on the Field Pool and, later, on Wath Ings.
In quiet mood, the GWE preening on Wath Ings
There is also a good mix of waders present at the moment and the best place to see most of these is (funnily enough) from the Wader Scrape Hide. From here you can get great views around the islands of both the Mere and the Scrape. For example, as I left Old Moor tonight, a knot was being reported here along with a group of ten dunlin.
A green sandpiper feeding on the scrape
Today also brought a wheatear to the area between Mere and Scrape. Turnstone, ringed plover, little ringed plover, common sandpiper and ruff were still visible from here too.
Throw in marsh harrier, peregrine and hobby and you pretty much have the picture of the day. Brilliant!
Until next time.
Lots of waders yesterday incl RP, dunlin, Green & common sandpipers and the knot who spent time flirting between WS, WI and FPE. Interesting attempt by a sprawk on WS to catch a pied wagtail but wag was too fast for it.