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Thought I’d go down to Old Moor, for a change, but mainly to get the bird tally up and running, and with the weather forecast for snow, I knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while.

The Tree Sparrow farm was the first port of call, with camera in hand, first glimpse around it looked like things had been updated a bit with new feeding areas, with new set ups, which looked a bit more photography friendly. There were a few photographers and a good selection of birds about with Pheasant, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, and Bullfinch.

My next move was the path down towards the Reedbed hide, down here I came across a few Redwings and a single Mistle Thrush. At the hide were Mute Swan, Gadwall, Wigeon, Little Grebe, a pair of Common Buzzard, Coot and Stock Dove.

My next port of call was the wader scrape hide, where I was hoping for Caspian Gull, unfortunately there were none, but on the mere were Herring Gull, Great Black backed Gull, and Black headed Gulls, also on the mere were Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard, Gadwall and Pied Wagtail.

The final hide of the day was Wath Ings hide, where I added Shelduck to the day list along with Little Egret, Grey Heron and Common Gull

Video of the Day can be seen HERE

Bird List : Black headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Black backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Little Egret, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Teal, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon (41) (43/200)

Redwing

Bullfinch

Reed Bunting

Blue Tit

Two weeks without birding and getting out is like chopping your arms off, I do struggle with my health during the winter months, I had to force myself to do it, it was Old Moor again, a safe place to be.

Plan of attack, after going thru the hub, was the Sparrow Farm first, due to a reported Brambling, thrn onto Reedbed Hide area for reported Bearded Tit, then dinner, then Wath Ings and finally Wader Scrape.

So Tree Sparrow Farm, alas no Tree Sparrows’ anymore, but there were Pheasants, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting ♂♀, Woodpigeon and Green Woodpecker, alas no Brambling.

So then it was on to Reedbed Hide with reports of Bearded Tit, still about and showing, but on approach, there was a good number of people about hanging around the reported area, too near I think, the birds weren’t showing, I hung back and settled on the nearby benches and waited, the people moved away and I waited more, unfortunately the birds didn’t show. I walked on down to the hide, were Gadwall, Wigeon, Shoveler, Coot, Little Grebe, Mute Swan were all viewable, also a distant Marsh Harrier and Sparrowhawk.

On my return walk, I saw that there were no people around the Bearded Tit site, so I had another go, it was a little windy now, so I concentrated on the reed bottoms, has I thought the birds would be remaining low due to the wind, the Bearded Tits, showed themselves eventually low down in the reeds, scurrying around the reed base.

After dinner, I moved onto the wader scrape hide, on my approach I saw a bird of prey going over the pathway on approach to the hide, I only saw the underside of the bird, I guessed at Sparrowhawk, however a guy in the hide said it was a Peregrine. From the hide the usual wildfowl were about, I’d already seen Shelduck, other species were Great Black backed Gull, Cormorant, and Teal.

Down at the Wath Ings Hide, highlights were a Green Sandpiper, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing with six Grey Herons

Bird List : Bearded Tit, Black headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black backed Gull, Great Tit, Green Sandpiper, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Teal, Wigeon (40)

Blue Tit

Dunnock

Reed Bunting

Green Sandpiper

Back to Old Moor, been about a month now since my last visit now, so was good to be back on site. Tree Sparrow Farm feeders was my first stop, seemed quiet on approach, then birds started to appear Pheasant, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Dunnock and Robin all putting in an appearance.

Moving off then and headed in the direction of Wath Ings, seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over the path, giving off that typical undulating flight path as it made its way across and into the trees. At Wath Ings were plenty of birds about, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Moorhen, Black headed Gull, Pied Wagtail. Wader Scrape Hide was my next stop where gulls were on the menu, Black headed, Herring, Common, Lesser Black backed and Great Black backed Gulls along with Cormorants, Little Grebe, Wigeon, Shoveler, Gadwall and Mallard.

After dinner Stonechat was my target bird, so I headed off in the direction of the Bittern Hide, has this was the area the birds were hanging around in. Viewing from the hide, a Kestrel was a nice find, sitting on one of the fence posts, before flying off, but no Stonechat from here, so I headed off along the path towards the Bus Stop hide.

Looking continually over the reeds and willow trees for any movement, after the “S” bends down and then along the straight, scanning again of the reed bed, then, it gave itself up. a male Stonechat, flicking up from its perch and landing nearby, a lovely sight, love a Stonechat.

Reedbed hide was my final stop of the day, there were lots of wildfowl from here, mainly, Gadwall, Wigeon and Coots, time was up coffee was calling

Bird List : Black headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Black backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Teal, Wigeon, Woodpigeon (37)

Gadwall ♂

Wigeon ♂

Little Egret

Stonechat ♂

Stonechat ♂

A return to the local reserve, after a long absence, February I think was the last time I was here, so long overdue.

I did have a target species however and it was from the bridge, that I was hoping to see it , so that was the first port of call. I headed off, seeing very little on route as I made my way thru the reserve Robin, Crow and Magpies being seen. Viewing from the bridge, it was a few minutes before I found the target, tucked in on the left bank of the river, a single Dipper, there has been two about, but I only saw one today, then out the corner of my eye, a blue flash, going up the right side of the river, it landed in the river side trees, I was able to pick out a Kingfisher, distant, but a lovely sight to see.

Down at the ski lake, lots of Black headed Gulls, with Lesser Black backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, and Common Gulls, Goldeneye were now present for the winter, along with Tufted Duck and Mallard, Down on the river again were a couple of female Goosanders, with Great Tit, Blue Tit and a Treecreeper in the nearby tree, and a flock of Long tailed Tit. It was also nice to find a Episyrphus balteatus Hoverfly along the riverside vegetation.

Bird List : Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dipper, Goldeneye, Goosander, Great Tit, Kingfisher, Lesser Black backed Gull, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Robin, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren (20)

Episyrphus balteatus Hoverfly