Fairburn Ings and St Aidan’s sightings blog - October 2022

It’s been an exciting week in the Aire Valley, with some rarities, such as grey plover, red-crested pochard and hen harrier putting on a show for many visitors. Signs of Autumn have arrived on the reserves, such as redwings, whooper swans, pink-footed geese and stonechats feeding on berries around the reserve. In addition, many of our summer migrants have headed back home, such as swifts and willow warblers.

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

• Bearded tit 
• Mistle thrush
• Redwing
• Pintail
• Pink-footed goose
• Whooper swan
• Spotted redshank
• Wigeon
• Ruff
• Hobby

Our star species this week is the redwing! They are just starting to migrate to the UK from Iceland and Scandinavia, and you can spot them feeding on berries around the reserve.

Here is a more extensive list of the sightings:

• Bearded tit, linnet, stonechat, house martin, meadow pipit, chiffchaff, jay, raven, starling, redwing, wheatear, siskin, willow tit, mistle thrush, blackcap, grey wagtail, swallow, sand martin, green woodpecker, goldfinch, wren, great spotted woodpecker and long-tailed tit
• Great white egret, greenshank, spoonbill, ruff, ringed plover, cattle egret, pintail, pink-footed goose, common gull, curlew, black-tailed godwit, pochard, bittern, dunlin, lapwing, redshank, spotted redshank, common sandpiper, snipe, whooper swan, green sandpiper, wigeon, water rail and curlew sandpiper
• Peregrine, marsh harrier, buzzard, kestrel and hobby
• Roe deer

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

• Bearded tit 
• Stonechat
  
• Grey plover
• Ringtail hen harrier
• Greenfinch
• Spotted redshank
• Red-crested pochard
• Stonechat
• Red fox
• Barn owl

Our star species this week is the greenfinch. The UK’s greenfinch population is in decline due to a disease called trichomonosis, which can be picked up from shared perches and bird feeders that aren’t regularly cleaned. You can help the greenfinch population and chaffinches by ensuring you keep your feeders clean.

Here is a more extensive list of the sightings:

• Long-tailed tit, stonechat, linnet, reed bunting, bearded tit, willow warbler, mistle thrush, wren, greenfinch, goldfinch, dunnock and great tit
• Grey plover, curlew sandpiper, great white egret, bittern, spotted redshank, water rail, grey heron, kingfisher, snipe, great crested grebe, black-tailed godwit, lapwing, whooper swan, red-crested pochard, cormorant, ringed plover and dunlin
• Ringtail hen harrier, hobby, kestrel, marsh harrier, red kite, little owl and barn owl
• Red fox
• Small copper

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 Cafe or Visitor Centre, or by letting us know on social media! Happy spotting!

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Photos:

Redwing -  Steve Smith

Green finch - Steve Smith