West Yorkshire

John Rayner · Status: Offline

West Yorkshire

Simon Gough · Status: Offline

An epic post covering a very enjoyable day. Thanks as usual to Rob for the driving. Swillington Ings was great, we should acknowledge the very friendly local birders we met who shared lots of local knowledge; we'd have spent a fair while longer trying to cover the site without having had the pointers we received.

On the point of the second Iceland Gull, which Rob brilliantly spotted while we were looking around Woodlesford Lock, to me this bird was the doppelganger of a couple of 2nd Winter birds in the Birding Forum photo gallery; the Pete Berry shot from Heaton Park 18/03/15 and the Ian McKerchar shot from Richmond Bank 14/03/15. Ours had a grey mantle which showed in the same way as the photos when the bird was on the ground and stood out clearly when it was flying. It was otherwise almost completely white or very pale, presumably faded after the winter. So for me that is what it was. The lads got photos which should allow it to be checked out by the expert gullers. Definitely not a Glaucous Gull, which Rob and I are still desperate to see, but a cracking bird nonetheless. I thought it looked like the same one when we went back to Swillington Ings, but who knows.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Sunday 29th March 2015

Another quality day in the company of Simon Gough and Steve Burke produced another Wildfowl bonanza and Gull fest with a whole host of species providing a top quality supporting cast.
73 species seen on the day, including 1 Lifer for me, 6 heard only, and 2 that I missed, so day totals could vary slightly.

Firstly to Normanton.
American Wigeon (Drake) - a Lifer for me. We picked this bird up within minutes of parking up. It was literally on a small lake by a field, at the side of the road, near an industrial estate and a massive Police Station.
He had 2 female Wigeon keeping him company on the lake.
Other birds of note...
Tufted Duck
10+ Greylag Geese
2 Grey Partridge - flushed from side of path
Few Skylark
3 Meadow Pipit
Few Long Tailed Tits
1 Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Yellowhammer reported by another birder - we could hear it faintly in the distance

Swillington Ings.
If you've never been to this place then you need to. Well worth a visit, it's a wide open wetlands area with very little obscuring vegetation. Reedbeds, marsh, lakes, spits, islands, and with access paths enabling good views.
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
Pink-footed Goose - 1 single then small group over
Mallard
Wigeon
Pochard - plenty around
Tufted Duck
Goldeneye
Gadwall - lots feeding in fields and on water
Teal
Shoveler - most I've ever seen
Shelduck
Goosander - I missed 2 flying over whilst looking for Glaucous Gull
Great Crested Grebe - 4 or 5, 2 close up flyovers
Little Grebe - 2
Black-necked Grebe - 2 splendid adults in breeding plumage
Cormorant
Bittern - heard only, constant booming all afternoon
Grey Heron
Red Kite - 1 drifting over edge of reserve (we weren't far from Harewood House)
Sparrowhawk - 2
Buzzard - probably 5
Kestrel - 2
Water Rail - heard only
Green Woodpecker - 1 flew up off the ground infront of us and into the scrub at the riverside
Golden Plover - at least 700 total in 3 quick succession groups
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Dunlin - 1
Redshank
Common Snipe
Black-headed Gull - everywhere
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull - only 1 or 2 adults around (possibly more juv)
Juvenile Iceland Gull - well picked out Simon
Possible Yellow-legged Gull candidate (unconfirmed as yet, not counted in total)
Sand Martin - approx 25 through in total
Water Pipit - 1, I missed this one!
Pied Wagtail
Song Thrush - 1 on kerb at side of the lane down to reserve
Plenty of Robin
Jay - 2 feeding with Gadwall and Canada Geese
Goldfinch - I had 1 singing on traffic lights near reserve
Bullfinch - 3, 1 pair together calling, another female flew in
Linnet - 1
Chaffinch
Reed Bunting - lots of them
Starling - a few groups around totalling a few 100
Chiffchaff - 1 seen, 2 more heard
Cetti's Warbler - heard only on way back to hide
Lots of usuals around

Quick visit to Woodlesford
No sign of reported Garganey but I did locate a huge Iceland Gull in a field opposite the supposed Garganey location. It flew off and landed in another field nearby which we located again for better views. Seemed to be near adult but just not as clean looking.
Curlew - 5
Chiffchaff - 1 up close
Mistle Thrush - 2
Pheasant (white) - 1 in field near Iceland Gull
Tree Sparrow - heard only in tree near car park
Great Spotted Woodpecker - heard only, same location

Quick stop back at Swillington Ings
Steve picked up another Iceland Gull in the field on far side. Was it the a ame one as earlier...who knows??? I made it 1 a piece!
No sign of Glaucous Gull in any roosting groups after extensive searching.

Fantastic day mainly on a new reserve for me that's gone on the 'must go again' list.

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 31st of March 2015 01:13:42 AM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 31st of March 2015 01:16:42 AM