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A quick tour of a couple of the Patch Reservoirs in very windy conditions which resuleted in bird life being very absent. Broadstones gave me Blackbird, great flocks of Starling, Black Headed Gull and that was about it. Royd Moor was a bit more fruitful with Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Bullfinch ♂ and ♀, Lesser Blacked, Common and Black Headed Gulls and very much a fly thru Sparrowhawk.

Around the patch todayand up to a reservoir I haven’t visited before Boshaw Whams at Hade Edge to see Scaup, this bird being a 1st winter ♂ and had settled in nicely with the other bird life on the reservoir Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Black Headed Gull I did have also a fly thru Kestrel whilst I was admiring the Scaup. I moved on then down to Ingbirchworth to add Fieldfare, Blackbird, Mistle and Song Thrush to the afternoon list plus a calling Tawny Owl

Old Moor seems to be the place where I can’t seem to get away from for some strange reason at the moment so with a group of friends six in all we were off and running at 10am. First bird of the day Little Owl in it’s usual tree and along with Grey Wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Great and Blue Tit at the feeding garden. It was then on to the reserve to see plenty of Golden Plover and Lapwing overhead, we took in all the hides and managed to see Little and Great Crested Grebes, Goosander ♂ and ♀, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Ruff (2), Redshank (4), Green Sandpiper (6), after all that we had worked up an appetite so it was back to Gannets cafe for dinner. After dinner we managed to add a few extra species, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Goldfinch, Tree Sparrow and Wren from around the pond dipping area and up to the reedbed hide.

JACK SNIPE

A few days away at our favourite Bed and Breakfast at Bridge Cottage in Woodnewton, great food, great host and great location resulted in a days birding at Rutland Water. We arrived at Rutland Water on the 5th of November inn showery weather but not to be dishearted we purchased our permits at £4 a time and then had a quick look at the birds from the centre viewing area these were mostly wildfowl namely Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall, Shelduck, and a couple of Ruddy Shelduck, Egyptian Geese, Canada Geese and 1 Little Egret. We decided on a walk to Gadwall hide before dinner seeing Slavonian, Little and Great Crested Grebes, Pintail, Mallard, Teal, and of course Gadwall from here. After a while we made our way round to Goldedeye hide to find Black Necked Grebe pity Red Necked wasn’t about. Back to the centre for dinner and then a move on to Redshank hide to see Jack Snipe and Water Rail both birds giving excellent views, a move then to the newer part of the reserve at the end of the day to see gulls coming in Black Headed, Great Black Backed and Common were the only ones I picked out but I admit I’m no gull expert, other birds Little Egret, Pied Wagtail, lapwing, Golden Plover, Coor, Moorhen

Rutland Water is a great place to Bird Watch and along with all the changes that are going on at the moment with new lagoons and flooded meadows this place will be awesome.

Bird List :-

Little Grebe plenty, Great Crested Grebe plenty, Slavonian Grebe (1), Black Necked Grebe (1 but 4 reported), Grey Heron, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Ruddy Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Goosander, Buzzard, Kestrel, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Redwing, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, Starling, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, House Sparrow, Jack Snipe, Red Kite

Once again out to Old Moor but this time it was quieter at Wath Ings hide as we settled in to view the birds these included Green Sandpiper (5), Ruff (2), Redshank (2) hundreds of Golden Plover and Lapwing. The wildfowl numbers are also building up nicely with Teal and Wigeon being the numerous Gadwall and mallard in supporting roles, other birds about Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Common Gull and Black Headed Gull. With reports of Kingfisher at the Family hide giving good close views we decided on a move there we had to wait for 15 minutes but the bird preformed well giving excellent views as it settled on to the branch provided near the hide. Other birds we saw here Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Shoveler, Linnet, Goldfinch

A noon start at Broadstones Res saw a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails going thru along with 6-off Redwings. Looking around a huge flock of Starlings lifted into the sky revealing a Sparrowhawk giving chase and with Little Grebe (3) Great Crested Grebe (1) on the water with the usual host of Mallard and Canada Geese and a handful of Black Headed Gulls. I decided to move into the small wooded area to find Blackbirds, Robin, Wren and the Redwings.

A move then after an hour from here to Ingbirchworth Res to try and find the bird that has been eluding me all year. It took a while and not before seeing a fine male Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit and a 1-off male Brambling and then the bird I’d hoped for Willow Tit right in front of me down to a couple of feet calling as well a better than hoped for encounter. On the reservoir water Mallard, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, 3-off Wigeon and a lot of Black Headed Gulls and 2-off Common Gulls

Out of Yorkshire today and into the top bit of Lincolnshire to bird watch near the Humber estuary at Alkborough Flats the plan was a couple of hours here then move to Far Ings but after a couple of hours I decided to stop and give the full area a work over. I arrived at 8am in fog and made my way down to the first hide hearing Pinf Footed Geese overhead, on the pools Redshank, Ruff, Black Tailed Godwit, Grey Herons and four Little Egrets, Lapwings, and Golden Plovers, Teal, Mallard, and Wigeon the fog wasn’t lifting so I decided on a snack back at the car. Whilst drinking a coffee a Barn Owl made an entrance and then an exit through the car park making its way east down the estuary. Time to move on and to the second hide seeing more of the same wader wise until I came to a small wooded area here I saw Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Blackbirds, Kestrel on the mud flats I managed to pick up Avocets, Grey Plover, Pied Wagtail, a Marsh Harrier hunting the reed beds and a Bar Tailed Godwit with plenty more Wigeon and Teal, Wrens, Dunnock and Robin in the bushes and as always a fly through Kingfisher.

I finally made it down to the last hide this is the one nearest the river overlooking Blacktoft Sands here I managed to see a Male Marsh Harrier hunting the reed beds at Blacktoft. Birds at the river junction Black Headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Lapwing, Redshanks, Grey Herons, Cormorants, and Golden Plovers by this time the fog had complety gone and the sun was a shining with a pair of Stonechat along the footpath as I made my way back to the car the day had turned in to a very pleasant one. That was the day apart from a Buzzard over the M180 and this is the LIST

Snipe

Well the forecast was good so with Digiscoping stuff in hand and bins around neck it was back to Old Moor to get some more practice under the belt. On arrival I was told the Little Owl was showing well near the feeders so that was my first port of call but only seeing Greenfinch, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Pheasant I sought help to seek out the Owl. After five minutes we were on to it tucked away in the tree at the back. After that I was straight down to the Wath Ings hide the place was a bit full mainly of senior citizens so getting a seat was difficult, I also thought I was going to be in for a quiet morning how wrong I was. Constant loud talking down the hide to one another, phones going off, door slamming (were have all the birders gone?) I was soon off back out down to the other hide and to piece and quiet. I settled in to the Wader Scrape hide to view Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Greylag Geese, Green Sandpiper, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Mallard, and  Teal.

BLACK HEADED GULL 

A little after ten / fifteen minutes the silence was broken with the arrival of the senior citizens starting with a few but it was the signal for me to pack up and make a move back to the Wath Ings hide. I arrived just to them departing en masse beautiful the hide was quiet. I settled in to the corner seat and started a bit of Digiscoping subject matter nearest were Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Lapwing and Black Headed Gull. Birds further afield included Greenshank, Golden Plover, Ruff, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, a fly through Kingfisher , a young Peregrine making its way in to the tree area with prey. On the way back home to finish the raptor side of things a single Sparrowhawk flew over the M1. LIST

LAPWING

SPOTTED CRAKE

 Another trip out around the Dearne Valley Reserves port to the Wombwell Ings reserve catching sight of Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper and what we were looking for Pectoral Sandpiper. Making its way along the far banking feeding slowly we could clearly see the sudden band stopping on the chest along with the classic ‘V’ shaped on its back saying I’m a juvenile bird. On then to Ederthrope Flash and we were soon looking at our quarry a Spotted Crake ( Video )we had great views of this bird as it was busy feeding and I did manage to get a few record pictures of the bird as it was dull lighting and a little distant. We then decided on a look at Old Moor RSPB reserve seeing more waders Golden Plover, Lapwing, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff and Black Tailed Godwit. List