Aire Valley Sightings- July 2022

With summer in full swing and the temperatures getting back around the "that'll do" rang, an abundance of wildlife is making the most of the wetlands within the Aire Valley. From hummingbird hawk moths to marsh harriers- there is plenty to see! 

 Image: Reece Smith

Fairburn Ings

There has been plenty on offer at Fairburn Ings over the past couple of weeks from fledglings taking their first flaps, to a stone curlew making a rare appearance - how exciting! Did you know, stone curlews are most active at night as their large yellow eyes allow them to find their food when it gets dark.

Sightings also include:

Birds:

• avocet, common sandpiper, great white egret, cattle egret, little egret, spoonbill, redshank, ringed plover, little ringed plover, dunlin, shoveler, green sandpiper, black necked grebe, oystercatcher, teal, stone curlew, coot, grey heron, kingfisher, common tern, moorhen, bittern and cormorant

• grey wagtail, blackbird, greenfinch, Eurasian jay, blue tit, chaffinch, song thrush, reed warbler, reed bunting, chiffchaff, long tailed tit, swallow, wren, goldfinch, green woodpecker and robin

• peregrine falcon, hobby, marsh harrier, red kite, kestrel and sparrowhawk

Insects: 

• Green veined white, 4 spotted chaser, comma, gatekeeper, Roesel’s bush cricket, red hawker, ruby tailed wasp and brimstone

Mammals: 

• Roe deer, stoat and rabbit

 Image: Reece Smith

St Aidan’s 

At St Aidan's we've had an abundance of wildlife around site. See below for more detail:

Birds:

• bittern, wood sandpiper, common sandpiper, spoonbill, little egret, great white egret, Mediterranean gull, garganey, lesser whitethroat, black-tailed godwit, dunlin, redshank, oystercatcher, ringed plover, common sandpiper, little ringed plover, ruff, gadwall, wigeon, teal, ruddy shelduck, redshank, kingfisher

• bearded tit, garden warbler, reed warbler, sedge warbler, willow warbler, yellowhammer, great spotted woodpecker, swallow, sand martin, blackcap, chiffchaff, common whitethroat, linnet, goldfinch

• Finally, our resident little owls have been popular with visitors and raptor sightings have also included barn owl, peregrine falcon, hobby, kestrel, red kite, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier!

Insects:

• cinnabar moth, marbled white butterfly, essex skipper, emerald damselfly, brown hawker dragonfly, red admiral butterfly, six-spot burnet moth, meadow brown butterfly, painted lady butterfly, small tortoiseshell butterfly, hummingbird hawk moth

Mammals:

brown hare, rabbit, stoat, mole

Report your sightings

We love hearing about what you spot around site so feel free to come in and tell us or add to the sightings book at each site. Otherwise, you can post your sightings online:

Twitter: @RSPBAireValley

Facebook: @RSPBFairburnIngsAndStAidans

We hope to see you in the Aire Valley soon!