I shall get on with all the other bird news in a moment, but really there was only one story in the Dearne valley today and only one place to be – Wombwell Ings. The reason? Well, in the first instance there were some truly exceptional views of the recent Richard’s Pipit.
If at this point you are scratching your head and saying, “Richard’s what?” then you can be forgiven because Anthus richardi is a pretty rare bird for these parts. Larger and more leggy than a meadow pipit, this bird has a strongly marked face with a pronounced eye-stripe. Oh, and though it has a very large range, it breeds in the grasslands of northern Asia.
Today, on the savannas that surround Wombwell Ings, a good crowd of folk came and went throughout the day to admire the odd behaviours of this charming little bird.
And what better way to spend a sunny afternoon?
The ripit could be picked up reliably within one hundred metres of the entrance gate to the Ings, on the floodbanks.In fact, it showed beautifully all afternoon at a distance of about 30m.
From as far away as Bedfordshire, here’s what they came to see…
Richard’s pipit by Pete Garrity. Thanks Pete.
Of course with so many birders in one area, the chances of finding other birds of note were high. Sure enough, in the early afternoon, eagle-eyed watchers picked up a yellow-browed warbler very near the outlet, on the opposite bank of the river.
A tiny, yellow-browed warbler at Wombwell today
Other sightings from Wombwell today included: two ringed plover, one shelduck, one pink-footed goose, a barnacle goose, a male stonechat and a small flock of siskin.
At Edderthorpe, John Clarkson reported: one little egret, eight shelduck, 194 wigeon, a male pintail, 220 teal, seventy-three teal, eleven goosander, two oystercatcher, 420 lapwing, nine ringed plover, one snipe, forty-one herring gull, seventeen skylark, eleven redpoll, six yellowhammer and thirteen reed bunting. Thanks John.
Meanwhile, Nigel Smith provided the picture at Adwick Washland. Today he recorded: one little egret, sixty-five greylag geese, one white-fronted goose, two Canada geese, eight mallard, 193 wigeon, eight shoveler, thirty-seven teal, eighty-five gadwall, two shelduck, thirty-eight coot, fifty moorhen, 140 lapwing, eight snipe, 272 black-headed gull, twelve common gull, five herring gull and ten grey partridge. Thanks Nigel.
Siskin coming down to drink at Wombwell Ings this afternoon
And finally to Old Moor where the headlines today were of a bittern calling in Reedbed One this morning and two Cetti’s warblers, two bearded tit and a marsh harrier seen on the Reedbed Trail.
Two willow tit were seen today (hooray) and one near the Visitor Centre I gather. On the Field Pool, a green sandpiper could be found and on Wath Ings there were two oystercatcher.
Sadly, that’s all I have for today. Until next time.