• Chicks on the reserve!

    Clare Gibson
     
    This morning’s Heron walk proved full of excitement with a number of chicks being seen for the first time this year. The chicks were seen being fed by parent birds, and also a couple of brave individuals were starting to roam around the near-by branches. With some nests still without chicks we hope the numbers will increase over the next week or so. There were also a few cormorant chicks.
    We have now decided…

  • Sunday's Sightings

    Laura
    Yesterday’s sightings include a Little Ringed Plover and Green Sandpiper joining the 3 Yellow Wagtails on the flashes. There have been no further reports of the Grey-Headed Wagtail, but hopefully it might hang around for a few days so more of you can see this rarity.
     
    Also seen yesterday were Buzzard, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Teal.  

  • Saturday's sightings continued...

    Laura

    A quick update for the rest of yesterday's sightings to get people clued up ready for a day out at the reserve! On the flashes, in the same place as the Grey-headed Wagtail were 3 Yellow Wagtail, seen a number of times yesterday, a number of people were only seeing the Yellow Wagtail but if you look closely you might find that one of them is the Grey-headed!

    Also reported yesterday afternoon was a Little Gull on…

  • A rarity for the reserve!

    Laura

    This morning Charlie Winn, who was involved with the setting up of the reserve back in 1957 and walks the reserve every single day- has reported a sighting of  Grey-headed Wagtail on the flashes- there have only been around 3 sightings in the Yorkshire area in the past 10 years so it's a real treat for us!! Keep looking on here for updates, I'll write something up if any more reports come in...

    Also this morning…

  • It's hotting up at Fairburn Ings

    Laura

    We're getting more and more sightings of summer migrants as the weather gets warmer, with Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers being heard on a daily basis now.

    There's still a few birds on the feeders but most are concentrating on making thier nests around the reserve. A pair of Willow Tit are nesting around the boardwalk and we've also got a pair of Reed Bunting that have taken a liking to the area…

  • Wednesday 7th April

    Laura
     
    The last few days have been busy with lots of sightings of our summer migrants. Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Wheatears and Yellow Wagtails have all been seen, along with a single Little Ringed Plover and the occasional swallow. A single Mediterranean Gull was seen yesterday on the flashes, along with a group of 12 Curlew and a large flock of Goldeneye.
    A range of duck and wader species have been seen including;…

  • What a lovely first two weeks of spring!

    Laura

    Here’s the recent sightings since the 23rd of March until the 1st April...
    There’s been lots of Chiffchaff singing in the trees on the Riverbank Trail as well as around the visitor centre and we’ve had out first Blackcap heard on the 31st March.  Also heard on 31st March was Willow Warbler. Also seen was Green Woodpecker around the boardwalk and the Riverbank Trail.
    A Glaucous gull was seen on the…

  • Exciting new website...

    Laura

    Welcome to our new website, you will be starting to see things changing on various different pages of our website which  is great! I apologise for there not being any recent sightings on the new pages yet, there has been a problem with it allowing me to log in, but I'll be updating them this afternoon so keep a look out!