Good evening! A few showers dampened Old Moor at times today, but tomorrow is set to be brighter. Even the longest of showers couldn't dampen the excitement of the people lucky enough to see the return of our little juvenile female kingfisher to her regular ponds!! Now the ice has gone, she has been seen there a few times today, fishing and doing the king-fishery stuff that kingfishers do (posing for photos in her case!), as though she'd never been away!!
Our super model kingfisher, by Ian Butler.
The car park feeders continue to be a great welcome for people coming to the reserve. Whilst the Tree Sparrow Farm is shut (due to playground improvements and heavy machinery) this provides a great way to see the farmland and hedgerow birds, because they are on the other side of the same hedge which is viewed from Tree Sparrow Farm. Seen here today, were male and female bullfinches, tree sparrows, reed buntings and lots of greenfinches.
A beautiful female reed bunting, performing an impressive, but eye-watering move! By Matt Mulcahy. Great shot Matt, thanks. :)
There were plenty of reed buntings coming into the garden today aswell, along with bullfinches, good sized flocks of chaffinches, goldfinch, a willow tit and a handsome male sparrowhawk. He flew through a couple of times and after his second unsuccessful pass, decided to perch and wait and watch..... He still didn't pounce to get anything and after 20 minutes or so, the birds gave up waiting for him and took their chances by returning to the feeders. Meanwhile, Titchers had set up a telescope by the window and dozens of visitors were watching him, watching them!! Mr Sprawk gave up then, but will probably return...... Meanwhile, a common buzzard was seen circling above the visitor centre.
The Mere was busy too, with teal and wigeon, 4 female and 4male goldeneye displaying, which would have been a treat to watch, as the males throw back their heads in a dramatic 'dance' to impress the girls. There were also coots, cormorants, moorhens, mute swans, gadwalls, tufed ducks, starlings, a kestrel and a peregrine hunting. There were also (direct quote from the Sacred A4 Diary here) "loads of lapwings" :-D
An impressive pair of mute swans, making sure that everyone else knows they're impressive too! Thanks again Ian, for this.
Wader Scrape had a little egret, an oystercatcher a juvenile greater black backed gull and a sparrowhawk. Wath Ings had 7 pochard, 50+ wigeon and gadwall. Field Pool West had a curlew, which is definitely another sign that spring is on the way, whilst a fieldfare seen there, just reminds us that winter hasn't gone yet!
Fieldfares are handsome thrushes and always lovely to see. Thanks to Lynz Harston for this shot.
On our other reserves nearby, an oystercatcher and green sandpiper were seen on Bolton Ings, green woodpeckers were seen on Gypsy Marsh and on Warbler Way and a grey wagtail was seen in Broomhill near to Wombwell Ings.
A view across Wader Scrape, by Dan Crooks. Thanks Dan!
The waders have started to return in small numbers this week. It's not only because the ice has gone and the ground is soft enough to feed in, but as I've mentioned, it's the early signs of spring. Wader Scrape will soon be buzzing with activity and be a wonderful place to watch the passage of migrating birds stop off. A good chance to practice that tricky wader identification and maybe see some new birds. Loads to look forward to and lots for all the new visitors we've welcomed to Old Moor this half term holiday to discover on their return trips, now they know where we are and how fab it is here!!
:)