Aire Valley Sightings blog November 2022

With winter setting in and many winter migrants being spotted across both reserves, it’s been an exciting couple of weeks in the Aire Valley. This week, a black redstart has been spotted at Fairburn Ings, and there have been lots of sightings of migrants, such as redwing, fieldfare, whooper swans and even barnacle geese!

The top ten sightings recently at RSPB Fairburn Ings have been:

1. Black restart
2. Gooseander
3. Golden plover
4. Goldeneye
5. Pintail
6. Avocet
7. Brent goose
8. Yellowhammer
9. Bearded tit
10. Sparrowhawk

Our star species this week has to be the black redstart! This bird is quite a rarity, with there being less than 100 breeding pairs in the UK. As a result of this, it is a Schedule 1 species on The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Here is a more extensive list of the sightings:

• Stonechat, redwing, goldcrest, chiffchaff, bearded tit, skylark, reed bunting, fieldfare, wood pigeon, yellowhammer, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, greenfinch, long-tailed tit, robin, goldfinch, coal tit and wren
• Avocet, snipe, whooper swan, pink-footed goose, pintail, goldeneye, Caspian gull, herring gull, common gull, little grebe, shoveler, great crested grebe, gooseander, curlew, dunlin, golden plover, water rail, great white egret, brent goose, black-tailed godwit, grey heron,
• Peregrine falcon, red kite, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, buzzard and kestrel
• Roe deer

The top ten sightings recently at RSPB St Aidan’s have been:

1. Whooper swan
2. Barnacle goose
3. Pintail
4. Red legged partridge
5. Grey partridge
6. Water pipit
7. Goldeneye
8. Yellowhammer
9. Gooseander
10. Black tailed godwit

Our star species this week is the water pipit! This species doesn’t breed in the UK, but visits in winter from central and southern Europe.

Here is a more extensive list of the sightings:

• Reed bunting, goldfinch, grey partridge, red legged partridge, water pipit, stonechat, greenfinch, chaffinch, yellowhammer, fieldfare, redwing, bearded tit, linnet and tree sparrow
• Bittern, grey heron, whooper swan, barnacle goose, pintail, great white egret, lapwing, cormorant, goldeneye, teal, shelduck, golden plover, dunlin, pink footed goose, snipe, wigeon, black tailed godwit, water rail and gooseander
• Kestrel, red kite, marsh harrier and peregrine falcon

When you’re out and about at RSPB Fairburn Ings and RSPB St Aidan’s, let us know what you spot. You can do this by writing in the sightings book in the Little Owl Café or Visitor Centre, or by letting us know on social media! Happy spotting!

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Image credit:

Black restart: Ben Andrew (RSPB-images.com)

Water pipit: Paul Chesterfield (RSPB-images.com)