The Great Yorkshire Birdrace

This annual event is held every January to raise money for conservation projects around Yorkshire. There are usually a couple of teams who cover the Barnsley area as there were this year (well actually 3/4 and 1/2 teams due to illness). Here's a brief rundown of what was seen  today around Barnsley.
We started before light at Broomhead for Tawny Owl and Woodcock then looked through the gulls on the res. before they departed but no sign of yesterdays 'Kumliens Gull' or Kittiwake (neither were they on Langsett). The Two-barred Crossbills revealed themselves quickly at dawn but we mistakenly decided to hang around hoping for better views (usually a mistake on a birdrace) and gained nothing. Common Crossbill and Nuthatch was the only other notables in over a hour around here. Up on the moor tops for Red Grouse and a nice adult Peregrine before dropping lower for Dipper which showed instantly we got out of the car (this rarely happens on a birdrace). Next major site was Wilthorpe Marsh even though none of us knew the site well. This turned into our major good luck of the day when we bumped into 'Mr Wilthorpe Marsh' Stu Green who was only too happy to show us around the birds he's found recently. Long-eared Owl and a minimum of 5 Jack Snipe were seen, at least 3 Chiffchaffs on the river and to cap a excellent visit a skein of 110 Pink-footed Geese went west calling. But now it was early afternoon, time was running short and the predicted storm was quickly brewing. A quick revaluation - we dont have time to visit all the remaining sites so which do we miss out? A dash to Edderthorpe Flash and plenty of lowland water birds including Dunlin, Broomhill which added virtually nothing (all the stake-outs such as Little Owl, Red-legged Partridge and Green Sandpiper were AWOL), another Jack Snipe on Gypsy Marsh (unfortunatly can't count it twice), and finally down to Old Moor having decided to forsake a visit to Wintersett. The feeders gave up Brambling and a few other passerines, the Mere -two grebes and then the rain started. Sat it out until dusk hoping for Bittern or Barn Owl or anything new but we failed to add anything after 3pm.
And our total for the day - 81 species, quite a way off our record of 95 some years ago.
Now the bit to make us look fools - the missed species;- Bittern, Red-legged Partridge, Water Rail, Golden Plover, Green Sandpiper, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker (seen by only one of team so not countable), Skylark, Willow Tit, Treecreeper, Rook, Raven and Lesser Redpoll, these are all species that we know were seen in Barnsley today (and there will be some I've not added). So a minimum of 98 species around the Area today. Still wouldn't have been enough to win the competition today as a team in Scarborough saw 101.
Always next year!