It feels like the weather has been wet for such a long time, but spring is in the air across the RSPB Aire Valley and the temperature is steadily increasing. We are continuing to see a lot of our winter species such as the Brambling and Short-eared Owls, but the Goldeneye and Great-crested Grebes have begun their courtship dances and many of the birds are in their mating plumage.
Top 10 sightings at RSPB Fairburn Ings
Redwing
Great White Egret
Oystercatcher
Little Grebe
Siskin
Cattle Egret
Bittern
Goldeneye
Kingfisher
Great-crested Grebe
Redwing are often seen on both the Aire Valley reserves as a winter visitor to the UK. They are the smallest type of thrush and easily identifiable by the red colour underneath their wings and the creamy stripe above their eyes.
Oystercatchers are more commonly found on the cost over winter where they feed on crustaceans such as cockles. Many Oystercatchers breed on the coast as well, however we do have a few pairs that choose to come further inland to RSPB Fairburn Ings and RSPB St Aidan’s where they can feed on the worms found along the edges of our lakes and ponds. They have been arriving over the past few weeks and are most easily spotted when they are out looking for food on the mud.
At RSPB Fairburn Ings we have been very excited to have several Cattle Egret stay for the whole of winter. They are often spotted close to the long-horn cattle as they stand on their backs to eat the insects that the cattle attract, as well as the insects and worms that the cattle disturb as they break up the soil and mud with their feet. Cattle Egret can be distinguished from Little Egret by their bright yellow beaks and legs, whereas Little Egret have black beaks and legs with yellow feet.
Top 10 sightings at RSPB St Aidan’s
Redshank
Short-eared Owl
Brambling
Red Kite
Black-headed Gull
Redshanks are a wading bird and usually spend the winter on the cost, similar to Oystercatchers. They travel inland to breed in the spring and summer and are regularly spotted at the Aire Valley at this time of year. As their name suggests they are easily distinguishable by their bright red or orange legs and their long red or orange bill, which they use to probe through the mud looking for insects and earthworms.
Great-crested Grebes can be spotted at the Aire Valley all year around. They can be seen swimming and diving in our lakes and channels of water. Throughout the winter they are quite plain to look at in their cream and brown. However, as spring approaches they grow their mating plumage which gives them their name. In February and March, they begin to pair up and can be spotted dancing their elaborate courtship display. For this they gather plants from the bottom of the pond or lake and hold them in their beaks as they face their partner and move their heads back and forth in time. They will continue doing this for several weeks to establish their pair bond before mating.
Black-headed Gulls are a common gull species found right across the UK, but they are something that we celebrate here at St Aidan’s as we have such a large colony of them. They spend the winter out at sea, but in February return to breed. The sound of the colony can be heard across the whole Nature Park, and is key for some of the rarer wildlife species we have at St Aidan’s. The large number of gulls mean that there are a large number of eyes watching out for the Marsh Harrier, Red Kites and other predators. This means that the gulls act as an early warning signal for those species that are in smaller numbers such as the Black-necked Grebe, who rely on the Black-headed Gulls and would not breed here without them.
If you want to find out more about the wildlife at RSPB Fairburn Ings or RSPB St Aidan’s then we have lots of events coming up where you can learn about the wildlife we have on our reserves such as Birding for Beginners or more specialised walks like our Easter Duck ID Guided Walk. Watch out on our website for upcoming events including Dawn Chorus Walks and Black-necked Grebe Tours.
Find out more about what's on at RSPB St Aidan's here.
Find out what's on at RSPB Fairburn Ings here.
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Don't forget to write your sightings in our sightings book or tag us in your photos on social media! We love to see what you've spotted in the Aire Valley!
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Written By: Peggy Cook
Photos: Peggy Cook, Joe Seymour, Karen Speight