Back again at Old Moor, today turned out to be more of a birdy day with the highlights being Bittern, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Redshank, Sand Martin, and Willow Warbler
Butterflies around were Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood
Also found the first Odonata in the form of a Large Red Damselfly
A brief visit to Old Moor, again, resulted in seeing a few insects, at last. Highlights were Brimstone, Orange Tip and Peacock butterflies. The few bird species I noted were Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Robin and Woodpigeon.
Other insect highlights were Box Bug, Nursery Web Spider, Gorse Shieldbug, Hairy Shieldbug, Common Green Shieldbug and Dark edged Bee Flies
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, wherethe 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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
