Greetings .. I would appear to be back !
First of all .. apologies to all my fans .. sorry .. fan .. out there.
The website has recently undergone a face-lift and unfortunately I had no access to the area I needed in order to post the recent sightings.
Hopefully this is now fixed and we should be back to normal.
So ..
Today, Old Moor had 3 goldeneyes on the Mere, there were also 3 swallows reported but if the recent weather forecast is anything to go by they look like being in for a shock !
A male brambling was seen in the garden feeder area which is always a nice bird to be able to add to the report.
Approximately 40 sand martins are still over Wath Ings but their new accommodation is on the Mere .... Ah well ..
A willow tit was spotted just outside the Visitor's Centre.
Normally, around this time, I would point you in the direction of the 'Sunday Trudge' to give you a good idea of the rest of the inhabitants but as I couldn't post anything there was no point in taking any notes.
So .. from memory .. here goes ..
Edderthorpe Flash had mallards, pochards, wigeons, gadwalls, teals, tufted ducks, shovelers, coots, moorhens, mute swans, a grey heron, lapwings, 2 goosanders, black-headed and common gulls, Canada geese and greylag geese. The redshank numbers are also building nicely and many birds were displaying and calling .. (they sound like a car alarm !) .. A buzzard also passed over during my visit which was nice to see.
Bolton Ings had Tufted ducks, wigeons, coots, moorhens, pochards, mallards, gadwalls, teals, little grebes, great-crested grebes, shovelers, black-headed gulls, redshanks, oystercatchers, Canada and greylag geese, cormorants and mute swans. A willow warbler was seen beside the path leading from Wombwell Ings to Bolton and there were at least 3 chiffchaffs calling in the bushes next to the reserve.
Wombwell Ings had coots, moorhens, mallards, teals, shelducks, wigeons, gadwalls, little ringed plovers, ringed plovers, pied wagtails and a white wagtail, golden plovers in the field beside the reserve, lapwings, redshanks, Canada geese, greylag geese and a pink-footed goose.
Old Moor:
The garden feeders were quiet at the time of my visit but there were still plenty of chaffinches, greenfinches, great tits, blue tits and long-tailed tits.
The sacrificial crop area had linnets, reed buntings, and a dunnock but again, was fairly quiet at the time I was there.
The Field Pool had coots, moorhens, shovelers, mallards, teals, wigeons, lapwings, gadwalls and black-headed gulls.
Wath Ings had ringed plovers, redshanks, mallards, tufted ducks, gadwalls, sand martins, little grebes and mute swans.
The Wader Scrape had oystercatchers, ringed plovers, redshanks, mallards, shovelers, wigeons, tufted ducks, coots, moorhens, lapwings, black-headed and common gulls, Canada geese. 3 buzzards passed over during the afternoon.
The Mere had cormorants, mallards, wigeons, gadwalls, tufted ducks, goldeneyes, great-crested grebes, little grebes, black-headed gulls, redshanks, oystercatchers,Canada geese and greylag geese.
Doubtless I have missed loads off !
Right .. I,m off for a lie down ..
Nearly forgot ... For the ones among you who appreciate the 'flora' on the reserve .. The cowslips are now in flower, the elders are in leaf and so is the hawthorne. The staff in the Centre will steer you in the right direction for these.