As is normal on Sunday I did my 'Satellite Warden' bit to make sure all was well on the reserves ...
Edderthorpe flash had plenty to keep me busy .. present were mallards, tufted ducks, teals, wigeons, gadwalls, shovelers, coots, moorhens, great-crested grebes, little grebes, a cormorant, mute swans, black-headed gulls, Canada geese, greylag geese, a grey heron, oystercatchers, redshanks, lapwings and a single golden plover. The areas bordering the reserve had chiffchaffs, willow warblers, reed buntings, grey partridges, a green woodpecker and a stoat !
Bolton Ings was pretty busy too.
Something to keep an eye/ear out for are grasshopper warblers which have been heard near to the cattle pen on Bolton Ings ..
I began on Warbler Way and had 3 blackcaps along with good numbers of willow warblers and a whitethroat. Working along the river, I saw a kingfisher and 2 grey wagtails. Bolton Ings itself had mallards, gadwalls, tufted ducks, teals, shovelers, greylag and Canada geese, coots, moorhens, little grebes, great crested grebes, mute swans, oystercatchers, redshanks, a grey heron, black-headed gulls, a green woodpecker, a kestrel and a skylark. Oh yes.. and another stoat !
Wombwell Ings had grey herons, Canada and greylag geese, mallards, teals, tufted ducks,shovelers, wigeons, shelducks, coots, moorhens, redshanks, oystercatchers, 2 little-ringed plovers, lapwings, 20 golden plovers, black-headed gulls and a skylark. I left here 'stoatless ' though ..
Old Moor:
The garden feeders were pretty much deserted when I arrived with just a few chaffinches and 2 mallards present.
The sacrificial crop area was also very quiet with just a small flock of linnets to be seen.
The Field Pool had a kestrel, shovelers, mallards, gadwalls, teals, wigeons, tufted ducks, little grebes, great-crested grebes, coots, moorhens, Canada and Greylag geese, redshanks and black-headed gulls.
The Mere had gadwalls, wigeons, tufted ducks, mallards, shovelers, coots, moorhens, great-crested grebes, little grebes, oystercatchers, lapwings, cormorants, black-headed gulls, 2 lesser black-backed gulls and also the mediterranean/black-headed gull hybrid is still present.
Wath Ings had Canada and greylag geese, tufted ducks, mallards, pochards, great-crested grebes, little grebes, coots, moorhens, lapwings, black-headed gulls, a sparrowhawk and pheasants.
The Wader Scrape had wigeons, tufted ducks, shovelers, mallards, gadwalls, teals, coots, moorhens, 4 ringed plovers, 10 redshanks, 7 oystercatchers, Canada and greylag geese and black-headed gulls.
The 'talking' barn owl was reported from the far side of the Reedbed area as it stood in the doorway of its nestbox enjoying the sunshine .... Poser ...
Scanning the surrounding perimeter I saw pheasants and ... smoke !
A fire had broken out on Bolton Ings so a quick trot to the visitor centre was in order .. By the time we had driven round to Bolton it had more or less burned itself out but had still charred quite a large strip of ground by the side of Warbler Way .. Hopefully it hasn,t done too much damage ...
Never a dull moment !