“Eerie”, “Spooky” and “Unnatural” were all words used by visitors on the reserves to describe today’s red sun and the peculiar colour of the light this morning. In case you didn’t see it, I gather that dust from the Sahara Desert was dragged into the air by Hurricane Ophelia and gave us that odd red sky: a timely reminder that the world is a very small place really and that every part of it is connected.
It took Ophelia the best part of the day to move the clouds onwards and to reveal a beautiful, sunny afternoon – albeit with some pretty brisk winds.
Six geese a-flying! (Well, it won’t be long)
At Wombwell Ings today, Alan Whitehouse recorded: two mute swan, fifty-six wigeon, thirty-five teal, seventeen mallard, seven shoveler, 103 lapwing, nine ruff, ten little egret, one grey heron, seventeen meadow pipit and two redpoll. Thanks Alan!
Gary Stones reported that at Adwick Washland there were: two little egret, two stonechat, three ruff, around 100 lapwing, seven snipe, four common gull and over twenty meadow pipits. Thanks Gary!
Chaz Carter provided the picture from Broomhill Flash where he found: six dunlin and a female pintail. Thanks Chaz!
A buzzard over the main marsh today
On Old Moor’s Reedbed Trail today, watchers noted: four bearded tit, a kestrel, a little egret, both male and female shoveler, a great crested grebe, two Cetti’s warbler and six snipe as well as a large number of wigeon.
In the Bittern Hide this morning, the female kingfisher continued to show well even doing a spot preening between her fishing trips.
On the Mere today were fifty-three lesser black-backed gull, one common gull, two pochard, three herring gull and nine cormorant.
A female bullfinch in the Bird Garden
All of which takes us unescapably towards Wath Ings hide where today watchers saw: sixty-two golden plover, one curlew sandpiper, one spotted redshank, four ruff, one kingfisher, five green sandpiper, five grey heron, one little egret, two stonechat, two water rail, one buzzard, one kestrel and three jay.
Now, before I finish this evening can I just let you know that this Thursday, 19 October, Old Moor’s shop will be closed for an upgrade to the till system. The rest of the visitor centre will be open, including the café, toilets and access to the lift and reserve entry will be free for everyone on the day.
I’ll conclude this evening with one last picture from the day. The grey heron at Wath Ings are vain creatures and desperate to have their photographs taken. Here, one deliberately ‘photobombs’ the curlew sand. Shameless!
Until next time.
Upstaging of the worst kind!