Wintersett - Mud, Ducks and Gulls 20.01.20

A frosty start, 0 - 5 degrees with 0/8 cloud and a light westerly wind.
A great atmosphere today when lots of visitors came to see our star birds.
It is extremely muddy on the east bank of Wintersett Res.  Wellingtons highly recommended!
Wintersett Res: The adult female Long-tailed Duck was showing close off the east bank. 
http://barnsleybirds.blogspot.com/2020/01/wintersett-long-tailed-duck-20-01-2020.html
Little Grebe 1.   Pink-footed Goose 140 flew over north west at 11.00hrs.  A pair of Cetti's Warblers were displaying on the north bank.
Anglers CP: A 1st W female Ferruginous duck still present and showing well today. 
https://twitter.com/mhemingway25/status/1219227585328156672
See video https://twitter.com/StevieD131/status/1219223007207530496
Cold Hiendley Res: Gadwall 59
Anglers CP Gull Roost:
A 3rd W Iceland Gull was in at 16.07hrs.  https://twitter.com/BirderDilly/statu/1219328280777629697    An adult Yellow-legged Gull was in at 16.40hrs.  2 Barn Owls were hunting at 16.42hrs.

Ferruginous Duck at Anglers Country Park 20.01.19 Mick Hemingway

 Ferruginous Duck at Anglers Country Park showing legs - unringed
 https://twitter.com/mhemingway25

 https://twitter.com/mhemingway25/status/1219227585328156672

Anglers Country Park - Ferruginous Duck - 20-01-2020

Ferruginous Duck

Very distant shots but hopefully to support the ID - Left Leg visible without rings

Wintersett - Long-tailed Duck 20-01-2020

Long-Tailed Duck 

A few images from today reduced in size for the web - higher resolution on Twitter/FB

Carlton Marsh

Hidden away for the winter are 13 Herald moths and 3 Peacock butterflies (Chris Parkin)

BBSG Recording Area Breeding Priority Species 2019

Not sure if this is worth doing each year but at least it gives a heads-up on what is happening with some of our more scarce species. These results are taken from this Blog and from Twitter throughout the breeding season and then put onto a master spreadsheet. As always, a few records will not have been passed over for various reasons but at least we have some meaningful records.

Pochard - up to 18 males and a smaller number of females but this year only 3 successful broods.
Grey Partridge - always difficult to record in the breeding season but at least 10 coveys in autumn.
Ringed Plover - 3 pair.
Little Ringed Plover - at least 8 pair.
Redshank - at least 4 pair.
Cuckoo - 7 males recorded (4 lowland and 3 upland habitats).
Merlin - 3 to 4 territories.
Cetti's Warbler - at least 10 territories.
Grasshopper Warbler - 5 territories.
Willow Tit - 45 territories.
Ring Ouzel - 5 to 6 territories.
Yellow Wagtail - 8 territories.
Lesser Redpoll - 8 to 10 territories.

Pochard down from last year, Cuckoo becoming worrying, Cetti's nearly doubling each year, a drop in Grasshopper Warbler, Willow Tit a 50% drop in 5 years, Yellow Wagtail up slightly and Lesser Redpoll about the same (but overlooked?).

To my knowledge there were no Lesser Spotted Woodpecker records, Whinchat, Wood Warbler or Corn Bunting. No records for Tree Pipit but must have been seen at Wharncliffe, the usual site. In due course Martin Wells will have a few more records passed over and hopefully add into these.

Thanks for all of your input

Carlton Marsh

22 birds ringed today included 3 Chaffinch, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Longtailed Tit and 9 Great Tit.

c75 Pink Feet Geese flew west at 13.20hrs.

Wilthorpe Marsh, Low Moor , 19/1/20.

Wilthorpe- Water Pipit 2, Chiffchaff 3 together, Cettis 1. Pied Wag c 60, Goldcrest 1. Woodcock 2 flushed by shooters presumably looking for Pheasants. J Snipe 1, scarce this winter, C Snipe 5, Green Sand 1. Low Moor/Midhope this aft.- very steady couple of hours with 2 Raven, 3 C Buzzard, Siskin 6, Redwing 50, Fieldfare 20, 1 fem GS Pecker.

Wintersett Hat Trick for Pete Smith 19.01.20

0 - 4 degrees with 0/8 cloud but increasing  by late afternoon with a light south westerly breeze and a super sunset.
Wintersett Res: The adult, female Long-tailed Duck was close inshore, off the east bank all day.
More pics https://twitter.com/mhemingway25/status/1218944715418210306 per @mhemingway2
A male Cetti's Warbler was on the north bank.  
Anglers CP + Gull Roost: Pete Smith's good fortune continued today when he found a 1st Winter female Ferruginous Duck at 16.05hrs,  followed by  3rd W Iceland Gull in the roost at 16.35hrs.  making it a hatrick for him over the weekend.  A Raven was over the field early morning and was heard calling occasionally, in the same area up to 11.10hrs.  Little Grebe 4.  Wigeon 215.  Cormorant 22.  Shoveler 5.. A Barn Owl was hunting past the hide at 16.40hrs. 
3 Birds were ringed ACP: 2 Redwing and a Blue Tit.

Ferruginous Duck 1stW female    ACP   SDenny

Long-tailed Duck adult female     WRes.   SDenny

Iceland Gull 3rd W           ACP     SDenny

Wintersett + Gull Roost 18.01.20

3 - 6 degrees with 0/8 cloud and a westerly breeze.
Wintersett Res: Pete Smith found an adult, female Long-tailed Duck, showing rather well, off the north end of the west bank.  It was rather mobile during the morning,  making it's way to the south west corner before returning  to the west bank just before midday.    Kingfisher 2.  Cetti's Warbler 2 males - south east corner and west bank.
Haw Park Wood: Siskin 2.  Nuthatch 2.
Cold Hiendley Res. and SF:  A Grey Wagtail was on the outflow.   5 Meadow Pipit at SF.  20 Golden Plover were over the fields.
Anglers CP and Gull Roost: 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls were the notables tonight.  Lesser Black-backed Gull 2.  Great Black-backed Gull 282.   A Barn Owl was hunting over at 16.40hrs.

Long-tailed duck female     Wintersett Res    SDenny      

Long-tailed Duck female   WRes.  PMeredith

Long-tailed Duck female   WRes.  PMeredith

Wintersett + Gull Roost 17.01.20

4 - 6  degrees with 8/8 cloud and a cool westerly wind.
Anglers CP: A Water Rail was at the Pol feeding station + 1 in west bank marshnWRes..    Shelduck 1 and then same bird seen on WRes.
Cold Hiendley SF: Pied Wagtail 35
Wintersett Res:  Cetti's Warbler 1 male in boathouse reeds.  Kingfisher 1.
Haw Park Wood: A Raven flew over calling in the afternoon.  per Alex Aylward

Raven  over Haw Park Wood               Alex Aylward

https://twitter.com/AlexGlendinning

Wintersett Res. Gull Roost: per @StevieD131  The Roost was blighted by a female Sparrowhawk spooking gulls and flushing most of them to Anglers Country Park.  We did find this presumed juvenile Viking Gull which is probably as close to a Glaucous Gull as we will get this winter. 
@DLangstonBirder commented.  A Viking would be a hybrid Glaucous x Herring. Have had a few comments on the bird, about what it could be, but probably just a pale argentatus.
https://twitter.com/DLangstonBirder/status/1218232865500155904/photo/1

     Viking Gull                         Wintersett Res      SDenny

Carlton Marsh

Last Sunday morning a Channel 4 News crew came again to film Willow Tits. This is the link if you want to see it. www.channel4.com/news/what-impact-will-hs2have-on-wildlife

Yesterday 2 Little Egrets were on the wader scrape and 1 today (K. Bannister)

Wintersett + Gull Roost 16.01.20

8 - 11 degrees with 8/8 cloud and a strengthening south westerly wind.
Anglers CP: Shoveler 2 drakes.  A Water Rail was at the Pol feeding station.  70 Pink-footed Goose flew west at 10.10hrs.
Haw Park Wood:  70 Siskin were in the woodyard.
Wintersett Reservoir Gulls: 
Steve Denny reported a glorious roost tonight!  Herring Gull 2500, Great Black-backed Gull 150, Black-headed Gull circa 12000.   Yellow-legged Gull 4  (2 x 1st W + 2 adults).   Caspian Gull  1 adult  and 1 x 2nd winter.  Lesser Black-backed Gull 4.  

Wintersett + Anglers CP Island clearing + Gull Roost 15.01.20

6 - 9 degrees, sunny  with 0/8 cloud and a south westerly breeze.
Anglers CP: A work party cleared the vegetation from the islands in front of the hide this morning.  33 Snipe and 3 Jack Snipe were in the rough grassland on the shore.  Cormorant 24.  Teal 56.  Redwing 30.  A Barn Owl was hunting at 16.40hrs.
Anglers CP Gull Roost: 2 notables tonight.   An adult Caspian Gull  at 16.10hrs.  Lesser Black-backed Gull 1.

A good job well done by Friends of Haw Park Wood and Anglers regulars.  

@BrianLee50

44 Pink Feet flew NW at 11.50hrs

Wintersett 13.01.20

6 - 7 degrees with 8/8 cloud and a strengthening south westerly wind.
Anglers CP: A Merlin flew over.  Snipe 10.  Lesser Redpoll 2.
Cold Hiendley STW:  Pied Wagtail 32.  
Haw Park Lane: Pink-footed Goose 90 flew north west at 11.55hrs.

Wilthorpe Marsh 12/1/20.

Water Pipit 1, Chiffchaff 1, Green Sand 1, Goldcrest 3.

Wintersett - Walton Hall WeBS January 2020

Here are the January 2020  WeBS totals for Walton Hall Lake

Mute Swan 6   Canada Goose 81  Greylag Goose 82  Cormorant 5  Coot 41   Moorhen 2    Mallard 29  Wigeon 1   Gadwall 9   Tufted Duck 10  Pochard 3   Goosander 1  Grey Heron 1   Great Crested Grebe 1.

Wintersett WeBs January 2020

Here are the January 2020 WeBS totals for the Wintersett Area.

Mute Swan 23  Canada Goose 57  Cormorant 26   Great Crested Grebe 26  Little Grebe 9  Coot 415  Moorhen 15   Mallard 49   Teal 46    Shoveler 5  Wigeon 102   Gadwall 76  Tufted Duck 162  Pochard 146   Goldeneye 97   Goosander 26   Grey Heron 4  Lapwing 222   Snipe 5 Kingfisher 1
RING-NECKED DUCK 1 drake off north bank, then south east corner and south west corner - hanging round with 2 female Tufted Ducks.

Wintersett + Gull Roost 12.01.20

5 - 8 degrees with rain until 10.15hrs, then sunny with varying cloud and a south westerly breeze.
Anglers CP: The drake Ring-necked Duck was a welcome visitor for the WeBS count today.  It moved over to Wintersett Reservoir and was off the north bank by10.30hrs.  Snipe 1  Shoveler 5   Pochard 123.   A Barn Owl was seen at dusk.
Wintersett Res: A male Cetti's Warbler was in the boathouse reeds.
Cold Hiendley Res: Goldcrest 1.
Wintersett and Anglers CP Gull Roosts were counted tonight:  Herring Gull 3450.   Great Black backed Gull 665.  Lesser Black backed Gull 9.  Just 2 notables tonight  1 x 1stW Caspian Gull at 16.30hrs.  and 1 x 1st W Mediterranean Gull at 16.20hrs both on Wintersett Reservoir.