Hello there, before I get on to the sightings from the book today I'll tell you that we had a treecreeper in the bird garden today! They don't visit us very often and a possible reason for this is that we don't have mature enough woodland. However, the bird that visited us today gave great views, and not just once either...maybe 4 or 5 times. They move up the trees very quickly and then to re-find them, you need to look back at the bottom of the tree. I first picked up this bird on the tree right next to the hide. It took me by surprise and was off before I could say 'treecreeper!'
News from yesterday of a snipe survey count in the Dearne Valley. Jeff Wragg tweeted the following results - Dearne Valley Reserves Snipe count today. Totals were...470 Snipe, 28 Jack Snipe and a Woodcock. Thanks Jeff.
Maybe I should start today then with the sightings from the bird garden - here today were all the current usual suspects - blue tits, great tits, long tailed tits, female great spotted woodpecker, goldfinches, greenfinches, bullfinches, chaffinches, stock dove, wood pigeons, magpies, blackbirds, dunnock, robins and a male sparrowhawk which landed very briefly to the right of the hide.
Next to the Tree Sparrow Farm. No mention of our lovely Kes here today but I'm sure she wasn't very far away. Sightings included the bird garden sightings + tree sparrows and two yellowhammers. I didn't see the yellowhammers but was told about them by a few folk.
I've been enjoying watching the tree sparrows find nest boxes recently and here's a pic of three of them. One of them seems to be telling the one on the left that 'This one is our box, yours is round the corner...' :)
I had a wander along Green Lane and was delighted to spot a goldcrest near the Family Hide. It flitted about like they do and gave brief glimpses. Also around this area I saw a robin eating a huge worm... It wrestled with the worm for a while before managing to down it very quickly.
It then sat and looked 'full.'
Also seen on Green Lane today were bullfinches, dunnock,a male sparrowhawk ( it took a male bullfinch from the feeding area over the bridge), goldfinches, greenfinches, robins and reed buntings.
Next to the sightings from the book from the hide at Wath Ings. Here today there were - mute swans, lapwing, tufted ducks, shovelor going round and round in circles, black headed gulls, herring gull, coots, great crested grebe and little grebes, mallard, teal, gadwall, wigeon, Canada Geese, snipe, starlings, linnets and two oystercatchers.
From the Wader Scrape today we had sightings of goosander, teal, mallard, coots, cormorants and linnets.
From the Field Pool West comes sightings of a peregrine and fieldfare.
Next to the reedbeds. It was pretty quiet when I was there but later on, we had these sightings - a Cetti's was heard, a male bearded tit was seen and a pergrine was spotted on the pylon.
From the reedbed hide we have these sightings - reed bunting, coots, shovelor, tufted duck, little grebes, gadwall, mute swan, mallards and buzzard.
Last Sunday, the water was frozen over first thing. These two coots made their way across in tandem and were very comical to watch :)
The long staying hawfinch was again at Broomhill today, a small newt was spotted on the path to the Bittern Hide and there is even a sighting of a bumble bee today!
That's it I think. if I have missed anything from Old Moor today then do leave a comment.
I'll finish with a photo of our lovely kestrel from recent times. I was in the playground near the TSF and was listening and watching for whatever. All of a sudden kes landed on one of the posts of the swing fixture which was right next to me. She stayed there for ages and I didn't quite dare to move very much. What a treat :)
PS: I've just seen news from Twitter via the Barnsley Birders of a 'Richards Pipit' at Wombwell. No further news of this as yet.
PPS: A few blogs ago I mentioned I had met a young enthusiast called George and his dad. George has written up his visit on his blog. It's a lovely read and it has a few photos which George took as well. Thanks George!