Monthly Archives: April 2015

Plan of attack on arrival was to do the large circular walk along warbler way down to Bolton Ings hide along the Dearne Valley Walk  and up to the road, past gypsy marsh along the TPT back to Old Moor and on to the reserve, it was a nice morning plenty of sun, blue skies and warm.

Along Warbler way Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were calling, it wasn’t long before I picked up my first Speckled Wood Butterfly of the day, these turned out to be numerous, hoverflies mainly Syrphus species, other butterflies caught my eye has I travelled along warbler way Green veined White ,Small White and Orange tips in smaller numbers.

I finally arrived at the Bolton Ings Hide and settled in to see a Common Whitethroat moving between the nearby bushes and sporadically giving a burst of song, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock Butterflies were seen around here and on Bolton Ings itself, Mute Swan, Lapwing a few Great Crested Grebes, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Gadwall, Coot, Moorhen, Greylag and Canada Geese, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Cormorant.

After a while I made my way along the Dearne pathway again picking up more Orange tips and Peacock butterflies, there wasn’t many birds along this pathway mainly Common Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and the odd Chiffchaff and Black headed Gulls going over, it was whilst I was photographing a Peacock and Small White Butterfly that I heard a familiar call harsh ‘rattling song’ of a Lesser Whitethroat, it took a while in waiting but I did manage good views of it has it settled on one bush before disappearing into another. Got views of a Blackcap (Male) near the reserve and that’s where I had dinner before moving onto the reserve.

By now the weather had turned and things were starting to cloud over my first stop was at the Family Hide where I was hoping to pin down the Med Gull which I didn’t find this time in the mass of Black headed Gulls, I managed to pick up Shoveler , Sand Martins’ and Lesser Black backed Gulls whilst here to the day list then moved down to the wader scarp hide were the best action from here was a Canada Goose having a stand-off with the grazing cows, I also managed to add Tree Sparrow, Greenfinch and a Wigeon (Male) to the days tally

The Day List in no Particular Order :-

Birds Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Black headed Gull, Redshank, Coot, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Mallard, Pochard, Pheasant,  Magpie, Long tailed Tit, Cormorant, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Collard Dove, Dunnock, Shoveler, Sand Martin, Lesser Black backed Gull, Wigeon, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Butterflies Peacock, Green veined White, Orange tip, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone

 Blackcap

Speckled Wood

A Bridge too Far