You may have heard or seen on our social media pages - we had quite a surprise visitor over the weekend! Rob Hunton (Swillington Ings Bird Group) spotted a Dartford warbler on the hillside on Saturday morning. I had to have stroll up and catch a glimpse - I spent hours over summer scanning every gorse bush in Dunwich Heath but without any luck!
- Why are they so exciting? Well, Dartford warblers' numbers crashed to about 10 pairs in the 60s, and since then it has recovered in the UK to about 3200 pairs. These birds however very rarely come up north - they are resident on the very south coast and the east (Norfolk & Suffolk). Only 6 have ever been sighted in Yorkshire - and 2 at St Aidan's. The last one in 2005 stayed for quite a while I hear!
They are striking in appearance, red and grey colours with a bright red ring around the eye and tell-tale crest. It will perch on top of a gorse stem to sing, but is often seen as a small flying shape bobbing between bushes.
Dartford warbler, St Aidan's (Rob Hunton)
A little bigger (but not much!) we've had water pipits around Lemonroyd lake - (a winter visitor, mainly to southern and eastern England)
Bigger than that - Andrew our assistant warden spotted a jack snipe from the digger yesterday! These are smaller than common snipe and It will fly low and rapidly drop down again, unlike snipe which zig-zags and then flies off high.
Jack snipe, J Lethbridge (http://www.wansteadbirder.com)
Veering off the size order and on to the waders, we've seen golden plover in the last few days reach up to about 20, lapwings and dunlin on Astley Lake along with redshank, and snipe on the ridge and furrow (but the waders can be anywhere!)
In terms of birds of prey, we've had daily kestrels hovering over the centre, joined by a sparrowhawk on Monday too! Maybe it's heard the news we'll be getting feeders in January... Marsh harriers a plenty around the Ridge and Furrow, and a peregrine exploring Astley Lake on the far side of the park.
Sparrowhawk - Mick Noble - Swillington Ings Bird Group (https://sibg1.wordpress.com)
Jumping straight up to the biggest, we've had 9 whooper swans flying over and a great white egret has been spotted over the weekend on the Ridge and Furrow - but these have been known to swap and chance between Fairburn & St Aidan's!
Great white egret, Dave Hunter - Swillington Ings Bird Group (https://sibg1.wordpress.com)
For more in depth info pop in to the visitor centre on your next visit :)