George has been in the Aire Valley again , this time Fairburn Ings- here's her sightings blog for the week:The new year has been welcomed in with a dusting of snow and icy clouds. A chance to sit with a cup of your favourite brew and take pleasure in watching our feathered visitors at the Fairburn feeders. Although the house was warm and there were still plenty of leftovers, it was time for trip to see whats been spotted at Fairburn Ings. So with the sound of festive tunes wearing thin, I embarked on the trail to catch up on 2018’s first sightings.
Heading along Coal Tips Trail and past the Kingfisher Screen was a chance for many of us to see our favourite fisher diving in the water, although this week we have been also greeted by a little egret, sitting by the river waiting patiently for a passing fish or insects.
Little egret- Julian Keeble (Swillington Ings bird group sibg1.wordpress.com)
Further along Lin Dike Link past the totem pole and towards the hide were sightings of a green woodpecker along with goldcrests, goldfinch, stonechat and brambling.
Green woodpecker - Chris Gomersall - rspb-images.com
Lin Dike Hide is boasting beautiful views at this time of year. Light patches of ice are still dotted across the surface and inspired many sit a while and observe green sandpiper who have been making appearances. To the north east, herons, little egrets and bittern have been enjoying the afternoon winter sun.
Green sandpiper - Mick Noble (Swillington Ings bird group sibg1.wordpress.com)
Back towards the visitor centre there have been kestrels spotted in pairs and peregrines flying overhead near The Moat, but don't just keep you’re gaze upwards, as there are other creatures joining our feathered friends this week for a winter graze - 3 roe deer at Pickup Pool, I haven’t been lucky enough yet to spot one but dusk is the right time to visit.
Although the murmurations aren't as reliable as they once were at Fairburn, earlier this year, a barn owl has been sighted on Redshale Road near the kingfisher screen for the past week or two - worth paying a visit around 4pm.
Image: John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
January's dusk walks have sold out, but keep your eye on our social media pages (facebook.com/RSPBWestYorks and twitter - @RSPBAireValley) for updates on upcoming events at Fairburn Ings.
On 13th & 14th January in the visitor centre 11am-3pm, we're running a drop in bird feeder making session - in preparation for Big Garden Birdwatch!