Bretton cp 24/2/20.

Siskin 15+, Nuthatch 7, Water Rail 1 flushed from track. Goosander 3, Coot 10, Tufted Duck 30, Pochard 7, Mute Swan 5, Mallard 23. Little Grebe 1, Moorhen 12, Kingfisher 1. Surprisingly low on wildfowl with no sign of any Gadwall, Teal or GC Grebes , all assumed to have moved on to breed.

Wilthorpe Marsh and Low Moor 23/2/20.

Wilthorpe.- Pretty much quo. Water Pipit 2, Green Sand, Oystercatcher 1 pair, L Egret 1 the best. Low Moor- Flock of 15 Curlew impressive, Lapwing 21, Raven 3, Fieldfare 20, Greylag c 50. Too quiet on raptors, just 2 C Buzzard.

Wintersett 23.02.20

4 - 8 degrees with 8/8 cloud and a gusty westerly.
Anglers CP: Pink-footed Goose 1.  Shoveler 1m + 1 f.
Wintersett Res: Long-tailed Duck 1 female.  Cetti's Warbler 1 SE corner.

Carlton Marsh & Cudworth Common

Carlton Marsh is still really quiet, Cormorant and Little Egret best today (K Bannister).

Cudworth (my garden)

This pair of Red-legged Partridges were in my garden this morning (CG)

Cudworth Common 

Green Woodpecker

Symphony 
35 Lapwings one or two displaying.

Ferrymoor Flash (Sash)

2 Oystercatchers were stood on fallen Crack Willows in the middle of the flash. Also here

1 pair of Goosanders, 16 Tufted Ducks and Buzzard overhead.

The Ash plateau
3 Ringed Plover

Wintersett 22.02.20

6 - 8 degrees with increasing cloud and a  westerly breeze.
Anglers CP: Oystercatcher 4.   Wigeon 118.   Pink-footed Goose 1.
Wintersett Res: A Curlew flew over.  Cetti's Warbler 2 chasing on the north bank.  Goldeneye 66 + 43 ACP + 6 CHRes..  Great Crested Grebe 6 + 8 CHRes. + 1 ACP.

Willow Tit Survey 2020

Willow Tit by Geoff Carr

This year is the final year for the "Back from the Brink" survey for Willow Tits within the Dearne Natural Improvement Area (NIA) and also the second and final year for the National Survey.
The survey is already in place for the Dearne NIA but any of your sightings of birds east of the M1 motorway would be very welcome.
Additionally, any sightings from west of the M1 motorway which is outside the Dearne NIA are equally important. As people are probably aware, there is a continuing population around the upland reservoirs, so these will need monitoring and other places in between.
It would be good if we could cover as much as possible from now through to the end of June to compare with our Breeding Atlas results but any records throughout the rest of the year would also be useful.
Any records onto here or on Twitter etc will be picked up.
Thanks.

Wintersett 21.02.20

7 - 9 degrees with sun,  varying cloud and a blustery, westerly wind.
Anglers CP: Oystercatcher 5.
Wintersett Res: Long-tailed Duck 1 female.  Shelduck 1 female.  Goosander 1 male + 1 female.  Cetti's Warbler 1 male SE bank.  A Siskin flew over.

Wintersett + Willow Tit and Gull Roost 19.02.20 and 20.02.20

Wednesday 19.02.20 

Wintersett Res:  Long-tailed Duck 1 female.  Willow Tit 1 south east corner.
Anglers CP: Siskin 3.  Pink-footed Goose 1.  Greylag Goose 88.
Wintersett Res: Gull Roost: 2 adult Caspian Gulls and 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls were notable tonight.

Thursday 20.02.20  4 - 8 degreeswith 8/8 cloud,  rain from 09.15 hrs and a westerly wind.
Wintersett Res: The female Long-tailed Duck was the only notable today. 

Wilthorpe Marsh 20/2/20.

Water Pipit 1, Green Sand 1, Woodpigeon c 300 down, Magpie gathering c60. Big drop in river level, about 5ft lower than the beginning of the week.

Wintersett + Gull Roost 18.02.20

4 - 8 degrees with 4/8 cloud and a light westerly.
Wintersett Res: Long-tailed Duck 1 female.  Goosander 1.  Cetti's Warbler 2 - south east corner and boathouse. 
Wintersett Res Gull Roost: 2 adult Caspian Gulls and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls were notables tonight.

Wintersett 17.02.20

5 - 7 degrees with  5/8 cloud and a light westerly.
Anglers CP: Black-necked Grebe in SW corner.  A Barn Owl was seen at dawn. Pink-footed Goose 1.  Siskin 1. 
Wintersett Res: Long-tailed Duck 1 female.   4 male Cetti's Warblers - boathouse reeds,  north bank,  north east bank, south east corner + 1 south bank CHRes..  Goosander 4.   Pochard 37 + 2 CHRes..
Haw Park Wood: Goldfinch 60.

Red Campion    Cold Hiendley Res..south bank            18.02.20    ASmith

Cudworth Common

Near the low lying ponds. Kestrel, Buzzard, 2 Meadow Pipits, 4 Skylarks singing.

There was no sign of Ringed Plover on the plateau and there are two drilling rigs in the 'Symphony' compound, so there wasn't anything in there.

The reclaimed spoil tip now has some maturing woodland and is starting to attract a wide variety of birds. The best today were 6 Redpoll, 40 Redwing and a Long tailed Tit flock with 2 Coal Tits, 2 Goldcrests and at least 1 Willow Tit heard and seen. 

Ferrymoor Flash (Sash pond)
4 Greylags, 40 Canada Geese, 17 Tufted Ducks, 8 Common Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, drake Wigeon and a drake Shoveler.

Wintersett 16.02.20

5 - 8 degrees with 8/8 cloud and a south westerly wind.
Anglers CP:  The Black-necked Grebe and a Pink-footed Goose were notable.
Wintersett Res: The female Long-tailed Duck was off the east bank late morning.   Goosander 4 + 2 Cold Hiendley Res..

Wilthorpe Marsh/ Midhope, Low Moor 16/2/20.

Wilthorpe - Never seen the river this high with new small ponds and a lake at the east end attracting 13 Herring Gulls and a pair of Mute Swans. Steady in the cold wind with some of the usual suspects showing. Water Pipit, Green Sand, now a pair of Oystercatchers. Midhope/Low Moor - 2 hours this aft with storm Dennis delivering horizontal rain at 2-50 for a short spell. Not much up in very strong wind. Raven 1 pair, C Buzzard 1, c150 Fieldfare down on barnside Moor. No Curlews yet but an increase in Lapwing with 18 down. 4 Teal on the res and a singing Little Grebe.

Carlton Marsh

The whole valley bottom was flooded overnight as Cudworth dike burst its bank once again, the worst/best its been since November 2016.

A walk round this afternoon saw 2 Treecreepers, Great Spot Woodpecker, 5 Tufted Duck, Water Rail and Buzzard.

The flooded marsh

The view from the hide

Blackthorn in flower

Wintersett 15.02.20

7 - 12 degrees with 8/8 cloud, dull and damp with a strengthening south westerly.
Anglers CP: Black-necked Grebe 1.  Oystercatcher 4 (the last of the 2 regular pairs was in this morning).  Canada Goose 93.  Greylag Goose 61.  Snipe 28.
Wintersett Res: The female Long-tailed Duck still present.
Hare Park: Redwing 120.
Of interest:  @bigpaddymartin found the Ring-necked Duck and the Ferruginous Duck at Johnny Brown's Common lake, South Kirkby today.

Wintersett + Gull Roost 14.02.20

6 - 10 degrees with 8/8 cloud and a light south westerly.
Anglers CP:Black-necked Grebe  1.   Oystercatcher 3 (the north pair and 1 of south pair) Gadwall 15.  We get lots of Pinkfeet flying through the area, but only very rarely do they come down.  At 09.15hrs 90 Pink-footed Geeese dropped into the Pol Field!  Pink-footed Goose video  https://twitter.com/StevieD131/status/1228255696996720640
Wintersett Res: Long-tailed Duck 1 female.   Woodcock 1 east bank.
Wintersett Res. Gull Roost:An adult and a 1st W  Yellow-legged Gull  and an adult Caspian Gull were notables.  Herring Gull 1200.   Great Black-backed Gull 2.  Lesser Black-backed Gull 2.  Black-headed Gull 6000.

Pink-footed Geese in the Pol field next to the car park    SDenny    

Wintersett 13.02.20

4 - 7 degrees, mostly 8/8 cloud with a few short sunny spells and a strengthening north westerly wind.
Angler CP:  Black-necked Grebe 1. Snipe 9. Oystercatcher 3. Greylag Goose 27.
Wintersett Res: Long-tailed Duck 1 female.
Cold Hiendley Res: Green Sandpiper 1.

Low Moor 13/2/20.

Quite a winter scene with a fair sprinkling of snow on pike Lowe. 2 hours of very steady birding had signs of spring with 10 Lapwing and at least 1 Oystercatcher calling on the res dam wall. The only raptors were 5 C Buzzards. Raven 1, Siskin 1.

Carlton Marsh

Today Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Great Spot Woodpecker, 42 Magpies getting ready to roost, likewise 22 Pied Wagtails ((at Ardagh glass I think) and a single Linnet on arable land. 30 Herring Gulls north and a Stock Dove was singing to its mate.

A crocus was in flower.