Trip reports
Field Trip to Fairburn Ings and Old Moor
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Wednesday, 24 September 2008
The day started at 10:30am at the RSPB's reserve at Fairburn Ings which is situated alongside the River Aire near Castleford. On arrival in the car park Jays and a Grey Heron flew over our heads. We were then greeted by Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Willow Tit and Bullfinch on the feeding station just outside the Visitor's Centre. A little further on we spotted Siskins feeding in the Alder trees. Few birds, apart from Moorhen and Lapwing, were seen from the Pickup hide but some of the last Swallows and House Martins were hunting over the area before departure to warmer climes. The Main Bay viewed from the Bob Dickens and Village Bay hides provided sightings of water birds such as Coot, Cormorant, Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Cormorant and Canada Goose. After a rather disappointing morning's birding our lunch was suddenly brightened up by the sighting of a Honey Buzzard overhead.
We then drove down the A1 and 45 minutes later we arrived at the RSPB Old Moor reserve near Barnsley. On arrival we were welcomed by Steve, the Warden who immediately ushered us outside to see glimpses of a Little Owl perched on a nearby tree. As the sun continued to shine and as the day warmed up, from the Family hide we had good views of a Kingfisher perched on a pole eating a fish and from the Field Pool hide there were good numbers of Lapwing, a few Wigeon, Shoveler and Gadwall together with a solitary Little Grebe and Spotted Redshank. From the Wath Ings hide we were treated to excellent views of Green Sandpiper, Snipe, and Ringed Plover together with about 700 Golden Plover. While in the Wader Scrape hide a Peregrine sent up flocks of Lapwing and Starlings while a Hobby hawked the skies for insects. A lonely Twite proved difficult to identify but agreement was reached in the end.
10 Members.
53 species seen.
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