With characteristic understatement, it was reported that the water levels at Old Moor had risen 'between 5 and 7 centimetres today'. That may not sound like a lot, but when you think about the area we are talking about (around 100 football pitches), it shows just how much rain we’ve had!
Here is today’s summary of sightings…
Talking of water, Knoll Beck – the stream at the back of Old Moor’s car park - was as high as I’ve seen it, and had flooded the Trans Pennine Trail in places! ‘Yes, yes Andrew, we get the idea – it was wet!’
Indeed it was and this made conditions a bit tricky out there today. Nevertheless, there were sightings and some very encouraging ones an all!
At Adwick Washland, and sensibly in the dry of a tractor cab, Karen reported that over twenty-five swallow were feeding here today. Other sightings included: golden plover, greenshank, yellow wagtail and sixty snipe!
The two whooper swans were still at Edderthorpe along with 730 lapwing, eleven little egret and thirteen pochard.
Wombwell Ings also had lapwing and golden plover with a huge ‘charm’ of goldfinch and over 100 meadow pipit.
Back at Old Moor, rarities (for us anyway) in the Tree Sparrow Farm included a coal tit and a nuthatch. Other noteworthy sightings here today included blackcap and a pair of very showy chiffchaff in the small orchard adjacent to the ‘farm’.
Bearded tit, bittern and Cetti’s warbler were all seen on the Reedbed Trail but it was the rapidly rising waters of Wath Ings that provided the most unusual sightings today. A juvenile garganey was seen here and a little stint wasn’t far way. A common tern dropped in this afternoon and a marsh harrier was seen both here and at the back of the Mere.
Add to all that the more familiar mix of dunlin, green sandpiper, greenshank and little egret and throw in a patient (and bedraggled) peregrine and you’ve pretty much got the picture of the day. The 'species-o-meter' read 55 bird species today which – given the conditions – was a pretty impressive measure of the diversity of Old Moor! Now, did I mention it was wet...?
Until next time.
So it was a bit wet was it? Our bird feeders at home were invaded by flocks of house sparrow and goldfinch. They always seem to come out in force when it rains!