Hi Folks! A hot but exciting one in the Dearne Valley today. Here’s a summary of what was seen at Old Moor…

Now the eagle-eyed among you would have noticed from the summary that there was one very unusual bird over Old Moor today – a honey buzzard. Seen by Dave Waddington at 12:05, the bird did not stay around long and left heading East.

But wait, there was more unusual news in the form of another raptor that visited Adwick Washland today. There Gary Stones was on-hand to record an osprey over the reserve at 11:45! He also noted thirty-five avocet, 105 lapwing, three redshank, one little ringed plover, six ringed plover, two oystercatcher, fifteen teal and a pochard with four young. Thanks Gary.

The ‘Adwick osprey’ from Gary Stones.

The only other news I have from today comes from Bolton Ings where John Seeviour recorded: two mute swan with eight young, two little grebe, three great crested grebe, five mallard, eighty gadwall, nine tufted duck with seven young, seven pochard and a cormorant.

John also found: five chiffchaff, one willow warbler, ten blackcap, two whitethroat, one sedge warbler, two little egret, two bittern, one herring gull and a kingfisher. Thanks John

I'll sign off this evening with something a bit easier to find than a rare raptor. Taken at Wath Ings, here’s one of the oystercatcher on the reserve, snoozing away another hot afternoon.

Until next time.