On Saturday, Middleton Lakes entered into an all day bird race competing against some of the top Midlands reserves to count how many species of bird can be seen and heard on the reserve in a 24 hour period.
Here are the results...
I am pleased to say that after many hard hours of spotting, Middleton Lakes came out on top! With an impressive total of 95 species seen on the day, we have really put our name out there as a site to watch.
The highlights for the day included 3 Whimbrel that made an appearance in the afternoon, an Avocet was present throughout the day, a late Brambling was seen by Fishers Mill canal bridge and a lucky visitor saw the Lesser spotted woodpecker!
The full list is:
1- Blackbird, 2- Goldfinch, 3- Greenfinch, 4- Coot, 5- Moorhen, 6- Nuthatch, 7- Reed bunting, 8- Chiffchaff, 9- Grey heron, 10- House sparrow, 11- Sedge warbler, 12- Lesser whitethroat, 13- Great tit, 14- Blue tit, 15- Dunnock, 16- Robin, 17- Wood pigeon, 18- Wren, 19- Whitethroat, 20- Song thrush, 21- Canada geese, 22- Blackcap, 23- Pheasant, 24- Mallard, 25- Carrion crow, 26- Rook, 27- Great spotted woodpecker, 28- Black-headed gull, 29- Buzzard, 30- Kingfisher, 31- Magpie, 32- Skylark, 33- Long-tailed tit, 34- Willow warbler, 35- Chaffinch, 36- Cetti's warbler, 37- Lapwing, 38- Bullfinch, 39- Swallow, 40- Green woodpecker, 41- Mute swan, 42- Tufted duck, 43- Common tern, 44- Oystercatcher, 45- Feral pigeon, 46- Reed warbler, 47- Grasshopper warbler, 48- Gadwall, 49- Shelduck, 50- Little ringed plover, 51- Great crested grebe, 52- Ringed plover, 53- Redshank, 54- Avocet, 55- Pied wagtail, 56- Shoveler, 57- Grey wagtail, 58- Water rail, 59- Coal tit, 60- Treecreeper, 61- Mistle thrush, 62- Dunlin, 63- Cormorant, 64- Jackdaw, 65- Common sandpiper, 66- Mediterranean gull, 67- Stock dove, 68- Swift, 69- Lesser black-backed gull, 70- Cuckoo, 71- Raven, 72- Goldcrest, 73- Sand martin, 74- Little owl, 75- Linnet, 76- Kestrel, 77- Yellowhammer, 78- Teal, 79- Greylag goose, 80- Herring gull, 81- Lesser spotted woodpecker, 82- House martin, 83- Yellow wagtail, 84- Jay, 85- Goosander, 86- Starling, 87- Common gull, 88- Collared dove, 89- Meadow pipit, 90- Sparrowhawk, 91- Whimbrel, 92- Little grebe, 93- Tawny owl, 94- Brambling, 95- Garden warbler.
This is a really good count for an inland site and with most of the common birds seen, there was very little else that that could have been spotted so we give out a huge thanks to everyone who came down, offered their sightings and contributed to what was a great days bird watching with some fantastic birds seen!
Dunnocks were present throughout the woodland.
Since the bird race, Middleton Lakes has been overrun with waders, not that we are complaining. A record count of 105 Dunlin was an impressive site to see on the 7th, combined with Little stint, Wood sandpiper, Avocet, Bar-tailed godwit, 40+ RInged plover and Sanderling made for a very coastal feeling.
Other recent highlights include 6 Black terns on the 5th, a first summer Little gull on the 6th, Goosander, Pink-footed goose, Common sandpiper, Green sandpiper, Little ringed plover, Barn owl, Whinchat, Wheatear, Hobby and the sight of over 400 Swifts flying overhead was spectacular!
One bit of sad news (for us anyway), is that the Glossy ibis has now departed, and it looks like it has turned up at Kate the Warden and my old stomping ground of the brilliant Dearne Valley reserves in South Yorkshire. Hopefully it will give as good views as it did during its time here!
Good memories!
With a bit of rain forecast over the next few days, fingers crossed that a few more waders will drop in. I have predicted in previous posts about what rare bird will turn up next with the thinking being that I have to be right one of these days, did someone say Phalarope...
What a fab count for one day. Well done Middleton! As you say, we've been living ha ings the glossy ibis around the Dearne Valley. It's the first one in the Barnsley area since 1976 I believe. So thanks for sending it our way :-D