Huddsbirder

Today was a busy day going around various Nature Reserves around the Dearne Valley Area. Our fist port of call was to Wath Woods, where we heard Lesser Spotted Woodpecker saw Common Buzzard, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Sparrowhawk and Treecreeper

Our next port of call was to Adwick Washland where the highlights were Blackcap, Buzzard, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Scoter ♀, Little Egret, Redshank, Sparrowhawk and Wheatears. Butterfly highlights were Large White, Orange Tip and Peacock

A quick visit the at Edderthorpe, where the highlights were Avocet, Blackcap, Buzzard, Oystercatcher and Spoonbill

Our final call to Wombwell Ings where the highlights were Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail

Birds at Wath Woods : Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (H), Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Robin, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren (22)

Birds at Adwick Washlands : Black headed Gull Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Scoter, Coot, Dunnock, Gadwall, Great Tit, Greylag Goose, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, Teal, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Wigeon, Woodpigeon (32)

Birds at Edderthorpe : Avocet, Black headed Gull Blackcap, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Shelduck, Shoveler, Spoonbill (11)

Birds at Wombwell Ings : Black headed Gull, Blackbird, Canada Goose, Coot, Cormorant, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon (19)

Treecreeper

Reed Bunting

Pied Wagtail

Little Egret

Lapwing

Another visit down to Old Moor, nice to hear the Bittern if not seen, but it was now also hear the summer visitors again Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Other birds of note were Cetti’s Warbler, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Redshank

A few Butterflies were now about including Brimstone, Peacock and Small White

Other insects about were Dark edged Bee Flies, Gorse Shieldbugs, Hairy Shieldbugs, St Marks Flies

Birds Seen : Bittern(H), Black headed Gull, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greylag Goose, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Teal, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren (33)

Butterflies Seen : Brimstone, Peacock, Small White

Furrow Spider

Small White

Another visit down to Old Moor, a very quiet day, highlights being Cetti’s Warbler, Oystercatcher with Brimstone and Peacock Butterflies.

Also of note on the insect side was a Honeysuckle Picturewing (Chetostoma curvinerve) the only second record for the Barnsley Area. Also about were Dark edged Bee Flies, Common Wasps, Gorse Shieldbugs, Common Green Shieldbugs and Nursery Web Spiders

Birds Seen : Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shoveler, Wren

Butterflies Seen : Brimstone, Peacock

Common Green Shieldbug

Gorse Shieldbug

Honeysuckle Picturewing

Common Wasp

A brief visit out to Blacktoft Sands, the car park was getting full when I arrived at 9am, first course of action was to scan the Geese in the field next to the car park. Scope out and the I started scanning through them, picking up Canada, Greylag, White-fronted and a single Bean Goose.

Highlights on the reserve were, Barnacle Geese, Black-tailed Godwit, Buzzard, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Dunlin, Goldeneye, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Sand Martin, Snipe.

After Blacktoft, I went around the farm fields on my way back thru picking up Corn Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Skylark

Greylag Geese

Buzzard/Marsh Harrier tussle

The tour once again was with Ebro Delta Birding with a few days around the Delta area then moving up into the Mountains and Plains. Target species being Bearded (Lammergier) Vulture, Dupont’s Lark, Great Bustard, and Wallcreeper being on my hit list. The dates of the tour were February 21st to the 28th

Details of the trip can be seen at 3 Spain Feb 2026 | Huddsbirder with the Bird List seen at Spain Bird List 2026 | Huddsbirder

Video of the trip can be seen on You Tube HERE

A cold but sunny day at Old Moor, most of the action was around the bird feeders in the Tree Sparrow Farm with Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Reed Bunting, Robin and Woodpigeon

Down at the reedbed hide were mainly Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Mute Swan, Pochard and some close in Little Grebes.

Whilst walking down to the Wader Scrape hide a Buzzard went over and approximately about 30 Pink-footed Geese.

At wader scrape Wigeon, Mallard, Magpie, Coot, Cormorant, Canada Geese, Black-headed Gulls along with Common Gulls

A pair of Oystercatchers were seen on the East Pool, from Wath Ings a pair of Goldeneye

Video of the Day can be seen HERE

Birds Seen : Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pink-footed Goose, Pochard, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Teal, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon (37),

Little Grebe

Reed Bunting ♀

Blue Tit

Robin

More time down at Old Moor, once again the starting point was in the bird garden at the feeders were there was the usual birds around, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, |Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Long-tailed Tit.

Around at the Bittern hide a distant Marsh Harrier, fly thru distant Bittern. Down at the Reedbed hide the highlight was a Stonechat. Wader Scrape Hide again had Peregrine, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Great Black-backed Gull, Goldeneye. Birds at Wath Ings were Lapwing, Black-headed Gulls, Common Gull

Birds Seen : Bittern, Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Teal, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon (41)

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

Long-tailed Tit

Pied Wagtail

Pochard

Reed Bunting

A cold day at Old Moor and my first visit of the year, the feeders were my first call, to get into using the camera again, after a couple of months away from it, at the feeders were Blue Tit, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Reed Bunting. Next call was down at the reedbed hide, where there was very little Gadwall, Little Grebe, Pochard, and Tufted Duck. At the Reedbed Hide I eventually caught up with a Stonechat and a distant Marsh Harrier The walk down to the Wader Scrape hide I came across Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, heard a Cettis’s Warbler, a Great Black-backed Gull flew over.

Viewing from the wader scrape hide I had great views of a pair of Peregrines, bathing, unfortunately at a distant

After Old Moor I nipped around to Wombwell Ings and saw the first winter White-fronted Goose (a first for the area = 142)

Birds Seen : Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, |Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Teal, Tufted Duck, White-fronted Goose, Wigeon, Woodpigeon (43)

Oystercatcher

Long-tailed Tit

Goldfinch

Great Tit

Robin

Tufted Duck

A cold day with most of the pools frozen, with small pockets of unfrozen areas, this is were the Ducks and Swans were located main species were Teal, Gadwall, Mallard and Mute Swan. Around at the woodland feeders were Treecreeper, Wren, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Blue Tit.

Looking around the reserve we found a small flock of Goldfinch, Linnet and Redpoll

Birds Seen : Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jay, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Pheasant, Reed Bunting, Robin, Snipe, Teal, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren (32)

Grey Heron

Carrion Crow

The day after Filey I had a few hours at Bempton, were there had been reports of a Pallas’s Warbler, it took a while before it showed itself and it was all so brief. Other highlights today were a couple of Fieldfare, Gannet and Tree Sparrow

I then moved on to South Landing, due to the reports of a Dusky Warbler, I never saw it, missed out on a few of these this year

Birds Seen : Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Fieldfare, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Pallas’s Warbler, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Tree Sparrow, Wren (12)