Carlton Marsh

It was another relatively quiet day, the highlights being 15 Canada Geese, 4 Greylags, 16 Tufted Ducks, Little Grebe, Redwing, Redpoll, Great Spot Woodpecker (drumming), 2 Bullfinches, Mistle Thrush and 120 Pink Feet Geese north at 16.40hrs (R. Laverack/CG).

Also 2 Foxes on the prowl (L & R Frost) and Oyster Fungi growing on a dead Rowan tree in the car park. 

                                        The first Crocus

                             Kingfisher from Saturday (Simon Cox)
 

                        Oyster Fungi on a dead Rowan today (CG).

If you would like to spend half an hour of mindful moments take a look on You Tube at Tony Devoy's latest film called, 'King&Queenfishers of Carlton Marsh'. I can't recommend this film highly enough. Well done Tony.

Carlton Marsh

Today's sightings on a lovely sunny day included 15 (9m) Tufted Ducks, 15 Canad Geese, 3 Greylags, Cormorant, Kingfisher, 4 Water Rails called, Little Grebe (the first this year), 2 Mute Swans, Grey Heron, Great Spot Woodpecker, 6 Redpolls, Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel. Buzzard, and a Fox.

The first Crocuses are out along with Snowdrops, and a Daffodil is almost in flower (R. Laverack/S. Cox/C. Parkin/CG). 

Jews Ear Fungi (Simon Cox)

 

                                          Sparrowhawk (SC)
 

                          The new resident Mute Swans (P. Rawson)

Carlton Marsh

2 Mute Swans were new in to the scrape this morning (Pete Rawson).

Our wildlife group was very busy again today coppicing and dead-hedge laying along the embankment (Dave Tattershall/Jim Finnerty/Melvyn White/Simon Cox).

                                         (Jim Finnerty)

Cudworth

 A Cormorant and a Great Spot Woodpecker was present this morning (K. Bannister).

A skein of Pink Feet Geese headed NW over Low Cudworth at 16.25hrs heading in the direction of Carlton Marsh (CG).

Please be aware that some of my friends have been receiving e-mails saying that I am ill and need a favour. Ignore them. If you have any sightings etc please send them by the phone messaging service or by Whats Ap.

Thank you 

Carlton Marsh

 A skein of c130 Pink Feet geese flew west in the mist and murk at 19.49hrs (Dave Standish).

Carlton Marsh

This morning's report, the first for February, came from Simon Cox., Les & Andrew Corall.

The highlights included 30 Redpolls, 2 Water Rails, Mistle Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Great Spot Woodpecker and 11 Tufted Ducks.

Carlton Marsh

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Volunteers were busy cutting back Buddleias near the wader scrape view point.

Wildfowl included 31 Canada Geese, 10 Greylags, 12 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorants and a Water Rail called.

Also 1 Redpoll, 2 Siskins and a Coal Tit.

 60 species of Bird were recorded in January.

2 Bank Voles were out in the open feeding around mid-day in the car park (R. Laverack/S. Cox/CG). 

                                        Bank Voles (Simon Cox)

     Dotted Border on my patio window in Cudworth on 28/1/26 (CG).

Carlton Marsh

Carlton Marsh Wildlife Group were coppicing and dead hedging again this morning.

Of note were 10 Redwings, a Goldcrest, Cetti's Warbler, Water Rail, 17 Tufted Ducks, 2 Cormorants, 10 Greylags and c40 Canada Geese (L & A. Corral).

                             Cormorants 23/1/26 (Jim Finnerty)

A Copper Underwing moth was found in the hide - dead. 

Carlton Marsh

17 (10m) Tufted Ducks, 28 Teal, a pair of Greylags mated, and a Pink Footed Goose was feeding in a stubble field before it flew to join the Canada Goose flock on the wader scrape (Chris Parkin).

This afternoon in the fog 30+ Canada Geese, 6 Greylags, 10 Redpolls, 10 Redwings, Treecreeper, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 2 Water Rails called (CG). 

Carlton Marsh

 25 Canada Geese, 15 Teal, 16 (10m) Tufted Duck, 3 Cormorants (Richard Laverack).

Carlton Marsh

On the wader scrape 58 Canada geese, 10 Greylag Geese, Cormorant, 15 Teal and 60 Black Headed Gulls.

On the scrape 14 Tufted Ducks (10m).

Elsewhere Great Spot Woodpecker, 30 Redpolls and 20 Yellow Buntings on a freshly ploughed field nearby (R. Laverack/C. Parkin/CG).

Low Cudworth

A Chiffchaff called in Quarry Vale at 09.30hrs (Andrew Corrall). 

Carlton Marsh

 The only report received today was of 80 Pink Feet Geese NW at 10.10hrs (Andrew Corrall).

And this fungi

                  Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes) Simon Cox).

 

Carlton Marsh

Monday 19/1/26  

Goldcrest, and Oystercatcher west at 11.00hrs (Simon Cox).

 

Goldcrest in the mist (S. Cox)

Tuesday 20/1/26

Kingfisher, 50 Canada geese, 25 Teal, 2 Shovelers 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Siskin and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (H. Heath/C. Mitchell).

 

Great Spotted Woodpecker female (Clive Mitchell)

Kingfisher (Clive Mitchell)

(Harold Heath)
 

Carlton Marsh

The wildfowl counts today in the mist included 2 Shelducks, 54 Canada Geese, 8 Greylag Geese, 2 Shovelers, 25 Teal, 6 Tufted Ducks, a Cormorant and 44 Black Headed Gulls.

Also present Great Spot Woodpecker (3 yesterday), and 2 Redpolls, 

Cudworth 17/1/26

7 Redwings and a female Blackcap were in Les Corrall's garden. 

Cudworth to Ardsley Viaduct via the TPT

26 Red-legged Partridges, 32 Redwings, and c120 Lesser Redpolls (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh

This morning highlights - 110 Pink Feet Geese flew NW at 09.35hrs, 2 pairs of Shoveler were on the Whin Pool and 2 Herring Gulls flew south.

Elsewhere 65 Redpolls were feeding in the Birch trees and a single Siskin and a Cetti's warbler called CG/L & A Corrall)

Our wildlife group did a great job of coppicing and laying a dead hedge on both sides of the weather vane.

 

Royston Canal

A Tawny owl was found dead, caught in discarded fishing line, yesterday.  

 

Tawny Owl (Terry Smith)

Carlton Marsh

The ice is beginning to melt now allowing a few ducks to function. A pair of Shovelers, a few Gadwall, Mallard and Teal were present.

A Water Rail showed well when it went to investigate the Swan carcass. 

5 Fieldfares and c15 Redwings were gorging on Haws and 2 Lesser Redpolls were feeding on Birch seeds.

8 Greylag Geese were feeding in a stubble field and a female Sparrowhawk gave good views when it alighted in a tree on the embankment (CG/Steve Bethell).

                                  Siskin female (Simon Cox)

Littleworth Park

Today 14 Siskins, 2 Bullfinches, 1 Coal Tit, 35 Redwings and 12 Fieldfares (Chris Parkin). 

  

Carlton Marsh

After another cold night the scrapes were still iced over consequently most of the wildfowl had left to find open water. However, 2 Water Rails called from the reed beds.

Elsewhere c50 Redwings, c6 Fieldfares, 3 Redpolls, and a Coal Tit were of note.

3 Foxes on the western meadow were very vocal indeed. The Dog barking and the Vixen screaming as he pursued her and eventually mated with her. A third Fox with a limp was just an onlooker. The mayhem went on for most of the morning (M. Littlewood/CG). 

A female Mink on the bank in front of the hide ran onto the ice (H.Heath/C Mitchell). 

         A recent photo of one of the many Lesser Redpolls we have had (Harold Heath)

                                       Coal Tit (Clive Mitchell) 
 

 

A record shot of the Mink against the backdrop of the sun (Harold Heath)

Cudworth

I have lived at my present address in the Newtown Area of Cudworth for just over 33 years. In that time I have heard or seen 99 species of bird in or near the garden or flying over. Today after some years, I finally clocked up 100 when a Great White Egret came up the Dearne Valley at 13.15hrs over my house still heading north! I never expected to see one of those when I came to live here in 1992.

Carlton Marsh

Most of the open water was iced over, however a pair of Shoveler and several Teal managed to keep a small area free of ice.

The bad news is that one of our resident Mute Swans was dead on the ice in a place where it would have been dangerous for the local authority contractor to retrieve it for analysis.

c150 Pink Feet Geese flew NW at 12.02hrs. There were also 3 Redpolls, 6 Fieldfares and 40+ Redwings.  

               female Sparrowhawk 7/1/26 (C. Mitchell/H. Heath)

         Carlton marsh Wildlife Group constructing a dead hedge (R.J.Boland)