Old Moor and the other reserves in the Dearne Valley welcomed the return of a familiar, scythe-like silhouette to the skies above them today. Yes, the swifts are back in numbers!
Actually, the sticklers among us would point out archly that the first swift appeared over Old Moor a few days ago. But those few were just passing through. What was different today was that a small ‘shriek’ of five or so swift arced over the Wader Scrape, backwards and forwards, throughout the day.
Listen hard enough – and filter out the calls of the black-headed gulls – and you could hear their screeching as they hawked for insects.
A swift pic from the Blog Archive from someone called ‘Andrew Leggett’ in May 2015!
Broomhill Flash this morning had two oystercatcher, seventeen tufted duck, one pink-footed goose, one kestrel, a cormorant, two herring gull, one buzzard, twelve swallow, twenty or more sand martin, one sparrowhawk, three little egret, two mute swan, three shoveler, one red-legged partridge, five teal, four lesser black-backed gull and one wheatear.
Later David Bamforth added a whimbrel along with swift and blackcap. Thanks David.
On Wombwell Ings there were three oystercatcher, one redshank, one greenshank, a Mediterranean gull, three mute swan, thirty-one tufted duck, two great crested grebe, ten swallow, twenty sand martin, one little egret and eight pochard.
Meanwhile, at Adwick Washland, there were: twenty-four avocet, around twenty redshank, two oystercatcher, one little egret, two ringed plover, two wheatear, two pink-footed goose, two pochard, two whitethroat, one yellow wagtail, one little owl and five grey partridge. Thanks to Gary Stones for those numbers.
Sadly, there was no sign of the recent garganey at Adwick today.
One of Adwick's avocets
From Old Moor today the headlines were that, on the Wader Scrape, there was one avocet – though I struggled to find it this afternoon. There were also those swift overhead along with four house martin, two shelduck, one little egret and two common sandpiper.
On Wath Ings today a redshank was seen along with a sedge warbler (another returnee no doubt).
Blackcap and reed warbler could be heard (and sometimes seen) behind the Family Hide and that first family of coot chicks were still doing well by the Reedbed Hide.
And last – but certainly not least – a hobby was seen passing over the reserve at 15:35. The bird was last seen heading towards Wombwell where, without doubt, the search will be on for it tonight and tomorrow morning.
Another from the Blog Archive. This one's from Paul Paddock in July 2014! Thanks Paul.
That’s about it for this evening except for an exciting bit of local news. There’s still time this evening to head to Anglers Country Park for that alpine swift… race you!
Until next time.