What Next - Sightings, 28 July

I dunno, I leave Old Moor for a week and, when I come back, everything’s changed! Here’s today’s summary of sightings…

Apparently, in my absence, the Dearne Valley has had a bit of a heatwave – or deluge – depending on who you speak to. Yesterday five whimbrel dropped in, today just one, but that didn’t stay around for long.

Lapwing, dunlin and wood sandpiper on Wath Ings this morning

What did stay were six wood sandpiper. Five of these enchanting waders were on Wath Ings and another seemed to favour the Mere. The five fed together in among the lapwings, calling every now and then with their strange fluty chirrups. The single bird ate alone. Even more intriguing, another four wood sandpiper were recorded on Wombwell Ings earlier today.

Scattered by a few sparrowhawk attacks, the five wood sands always found their way back together. Number six stayed apart. Rather than a gathering for migration, these were perhaps family groups. They were moving through, but sticking together.

When I left Old Moor this afternoon, at least one wood sandpiper was still being reported and there's every chance they'll be there tomorrow.

Green sandpiper on the willow pool

And another thing - where did all the gulls go? Only a few days back, Old Moor was echoing to the squawks of black-headed gulls, young and old. Today there were very few and an eerie silence fell over the Mere. That third calendar year, yellow-legged gull made an appearance, as did a few herring gulls and the odd lesser black-back but, other than those, the place was gull-less!

Common tern mid hover

Today we had to rely on the lapwings and the sharp eyes of watchers to pick up bittern flights. And there were a few! The best places to see bittern at the moment are at the back of the Mere and, sometimes, to the rear of Wath Ings.

Bittern from Wath Ings hide today

In today’s gloom it was also good to see four black-tailed godwits, four common tern and thirteen dunlin. One group of dunlin on Wath Ings contained a juvenile, another group seemed to be providing support for a solitary ringed plover.

Black-tailed godwit on the Field Pool today

Along with four green sandpiper (one of which was intriguingly pale) and anywhere upwards of eight common sandpiper and three redshank, today’s picture is just about complete.

I’ll finish up with another bit of good news. Yesterday, a chick was seen following a teal around! – No, I didn’t immediately get it either. It turns out that yesterday’s duckling was the first evidence of teal breeding in the valley for FIFTEEN years!

What next I wonder?

Lapwings and almost all the black-headed gulls today!