Summary
After a rather wet visit to this RSPB reserve in October last year, it was good to have a dry day, if somewhat cloudy. The site is mainly grassland and shallow lagoons but there are also some young wooded areas. Again we saw three Spoonbill and it was good to have Little and Great Egret close together for comparison.
We had a Marsh Harrier jumping around in the grassland beyond the main lagoon before taking off into the longer grass and reeds. Both Common and Green Sandpiper were present, with the Green unmistakable as it flew off to our left. All-in-all, we had a good day’s birding, making good use of the available hides, as well as the café at the end of our stay. For most of the birds our binoculars gave us good enough views but we were also grateful for members’ scopes for those further away.

Members participating: 7

Bird list (44 species seen and/or heard)

Little Grebe	Shoveler	Feral Pigeon
Cormorant	Marsh Harrier	Woodpigeon
Little Egret	Kestrel	House Martin
Great Egret	Pheasant	Pied Wagtail
Grey Heron	Moorhen	Robin
Spoonbill	Coot	Chiffchaff
Mute Swan	Ringed Plover	Goldcrest
Greylag Goose	Lapwing	Long-tailed Tit
Canada Goose	Dunlin	Blue tit
Egyptian Goose	Ruff	Great Tit
Shelduck	Green Sandpiper	Magpie
Wigeon	Common Sandpiper	Jackdaw
Gadwall	Black-headed Gull	Carrion Crow
Teal	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Starling
Mallard	Stock Dove

Photos

 

Summary

It was a rather chilly June morning as we entered the Dale from the top end.  There was plenty of birdsong to greet us but not as many birds to see as we had hoped.  A few members were trying out a phone app to identify which birds were singing.  Accuracy of the app was difficult to prove as not many of the birds we saw were singing or calling!

While still in the upper part of the Dale we saw a Red Kite overhead and later a Buzzard and a hovering Kestrel.  In addition to the birds, we had good views of a Brown Hare and enjoyed the colourful patches of Jacob’s Ladder and a few remaining Purple Orchid.

Members participating:    16

Bird list (20 species seen and/or heard)

Mallard	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Chiffchaff
Red Kite	Grey Wagtail	Treecreeper
Buzzard	Wren	Magpie
Kestrel	Robin	Jackdaw
Coot	Redstart	Carrion Crow
Black-headed Gull	Blackbird	Chaffinch
Woodpigeon	Whitethroat

 

 

On arrival we were treated to a marvellous display of hirundines – swallows, house martins and even a few sand martins – over the field in front of the car park.  Many of us were then treated to a garden warbler singing in the wood even before leaving the car park. The reservoir was full to the brim so little to be seen from the hides apart from great crested grebes and the ever reliable great northern diver.  A noisy pair of oystercatchers added to the list and a male reed bunting just as we were leaving. Songbirds were in good form so a good chance to brush up on song thrush, blackbird and the warblers.  A sedge warbler was heard (with help from ‘Merlin’) and seen near the wildlife centre, a first for some, and a bullfinch was a nice spot in the top of the waving branches.  11 members enjoyed a fine warm day.

45 species  seen/heard

 

Canada Goose	Buzzard	Coal Tit	Bullfinch
Greylag goose	Coot	Long Tailed Tit	Siskin
Mute swan	Moorhen	Magpie	Blackbird
Mute swan	Oystercatcher	Jay	Song Thrush
Mallard	Lapwing	Carrion Crow	Mistle Thrush
Tufted duck	Swallow	Jackdaw	Robin
Gadwall	House Martin	Wood Pigeon	Dunnock
Cormorant	Sand Martin	Black Headed Gull	Wren
Great Crested Grebe	Blue Tit	Chaffinch	Chiff Chaff
Great Northern Diver	Great Tit	Goldfinch	Willow Warbler
Black Headed Gull	Blackcap	Garden Warbler	Sedge Warbler
			Pheasant

 

Summary

It was a bright sunny morning as we arrived and parked by the mill although there was a chilly breeze.  There was not much happening at the mill – a brief sighting of a Peregrine but otherwise mostly Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons.  There was nothing much around the weir either but House Sparrows greeted us as we set off up Wyver Lane.  Others of our regular species were added to our list as we continued up the lane and tried to identify the songs we were hearing. A stop at the hide added to our waterfowl count, including Gadwall.  Towards the top of the lane where there were breaks in the trees we saw Buzzards circling, together with two Peregrines and a Kestrel. Some mobbing of the Buzzards was followed by mobbing of a Raven by a pair of crows.  By the time we returned to the weir, both a Pied and a Grey Wagtail were flitting along the top of the weir wall but the mill’s Peregrines were nowhere to be seen; we trust the Peregrines were out on the wing, enjoying the warmth of the sun as we had.

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Summary

It was exactly one year ago that we visited this RSPB reserve on the Dee estuary. Just four members making the trip on that occasion. This time the weather was better; sunny and reasonably warm for the time of year.  Although the number of species counted was much the same, around one-third were different to those seen in 2022.

A pair of Treecreepers caught our attention early on.  Little Egrets appeared to be nest building in the tree tops at a distance but we also had close views of one from one of the hides.  Black-tailed Godwit were plentiful and in a range of plumages, varying from winter to full breeding. 

Mediterranean Gulls were clearly identifiable among the rather larger numbers of Black-headed. There were several songsters to be heard as we walked through the reserve, including Cetti’s and Reed Warbler, Robin and Wren. Towards the end of our stay House Martins and Sand Martins were spotted in the distance.

It was good to have a number of our newer members on the trip and all seemed to appreciate and enjoy the day.

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Summary

Wet, wet, wet but great for the birds! Almost uninterrupted rain throughout our stay at this reserve in the Dearne Valley near Barnsley, which sometimes made it difficult to identify birds. Fortunately, there are several hides, including at least two that are particularly large. It was from one of these that we saw the three Spoonbills; initially just one of them was feeding in characteristic fashion with its long bill dipped in the water, swinging from side to side but then the other two joined in.

We failed to reach consensus over the Sandpiper – was it a Green or a Common? Hopefully we are all still on speaking terms and will meet again next month!

It was good to see such a variety of species, including some that don’t appear regularly on our lists and the café proved a welcome refuge at the end of our visit.

Members participating: 10 + 1 guest

Bird list (46 species seen and/or heard)

Little Grebe	Tufted Duck	Herring Gull
Great Crested Grebe	Pheasant	Woodpigeon
Cormorant	Moorhen	Pied Wagtail
Little Egret	Coot	Dunnock
Great Egret	Ringed Plover	Robin
Grey Heron	Golden Plover	Blackbird
Spoonbill	Lapwing	Song Thrush
Greylag Goose	Little Stint	Long-tailed Tit
Canada Goose	Dunlin	Blue tit
Shelduck	Snipe	Great Tit
Wigeon	Jack Snipe	Magpie
Gadwall	Black-tailed Godwit	Carrion Crow
Teal	Green/Common Sandpiper	Chaffinch
Mallard	Black-headed Gull	Greenfinch
Shoveler	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Goldfinch
Pochard

Members participating: 14 + 1 guest

Summary

We had a good turnout of members for the first outing of the new season. It was a dry day with an occasional glimpse of the sun.

The reserve is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and a team of staff and volunteers were busy working on the site for much of our visit. Unfortunately for us that may have reduced the bird population, not least because of the noise generated by the petrol-powered strimmers. It was noticeable that a group of six Grey Herons were looking on from a green field overlooking the lagoon where the work was happening, apparently waiting for the labour-force to quit and allow the Herons back to their normal habitat. As soon as the strimmers started up again after the mandatory 11 am coffee break, there was a noticeable migration of ducks and geese away from the din. That movement did at least enable us to get closer views of the lone Barnacle Goose in amongst the Canadas.

The wooded approaches to the main lagoon and fishing pond were not completely devoid of birds but there was not much to hear even when the strimmers fell silent. Nevertheless, there was a good range of bird species to be seen and a Speckled Wood butterfly caught our eye too.

Bird list (25 species seen and/or heard)

Mute Swan	Pochard	Blackbird
Pink-footed Goose	Buzzard	Goldcrest
Greylag Goose	Moorhen	Blue Tit
Canada Goose	Coot	Great Tit
Barnacle Goose	Lapwing	Magpie
Wigeon	Black-headed Gull	Carrion Crow
Gadwall	Woodpigeon	Starling
Mallard	Robin	Bullfinch
Shoveler

 

Summary

One of the most beautiful of Derbyshire’s dales, Lathkill provides a variety of habitat for birds, other wildlife and wild flowers; the latter including Jacob’s Ladder. Surrounded by birdsong, what better place to spend a morning!

We entered from the top of the dale where there was a Buzzard circling overhead. Then as we dropped down into a wooded area we paused to watch a family of treecreepers. Further on still where there was an exposed cliff-face, we saw Redstarts coming in and out of a crevice, presumably feeding their young. A Peregrine passed overhead with two or three crows paying it some attention. The upper part of the dale was dry but once we reached flowing water, we had good views of a Grey Wagtail.

Members participating: 10 + 1 guest

Bird list (29 species seen and/or heard)

Grey Heron	Grey Wagtail	Blue Tit
Mallard	Wren	Great Tit
Buzzard	Robin	Treecreeper
Peregrine	Redstart	Magpie
Pheasant	Blackbird	Jackdaw
Moorhen	Whitethroat	Carrion Crow
Coot	Blackcap	Raven
Black-headed Gull	Chiffchaff	Chaffinch
Woodpigeon	Willow Warbler	Goldfinch
Swallow	Spotted Flycatcher