My starting point was slightly OUT of the club area “The Patch” today at the Calder Wetlands Site nr Pugneys on arrival the first bird that drew my attention was the Wigeon with its calling
Wigeon
These little beauties had all crowed together into the only open area of water free from ice and were having a right song and dance calling and displaying along with Mute Swan and a few Coots not leaving much room for anything else. Stood around on the ice Black Headed and Common Gulls with a few Mallards and Canada Geese, with a couple of Redshank around the pool edges. It wasn’t long before the Wigeon headed off towards the river with me walking on behind, or should I say skating on behind.
Wigeon in Flight
It wasn’t long before I was at the river and decided to head towards Horbury and under the M1 Motorway seeing on the river Tufted Duck, Goosander, Mallard, Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe it wasn’t long before I was IN the club area “The Patch”and started to pick up some patch year birds Mallard, Moorhen, Littel Grebe, Great Crested Grebe,Teal, Tufted Duck, Goosander and Goldeneye, the bird I was hoping to see didn’t show before I left, Smew, I did find out later it was on the river but an extra 1/2 mile up from where I was positioned having not seen one in “The Patch” area since the late 80’s it would have been a good one to catch up with, maybe next week??
Birds Seen :-
Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Goosander, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Goldeneye, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Kestrel, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Collard Dove, Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush, Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Redshank.
Huddsbirder 