mid-evening update

The Black Tern on Wombwell Ings today - Keith Pickering

Wombwell Ings mid-evening: 10 Ringed Plover, 4 LRP, 4 Avocet, Wood Sand', 4 Dunlin, Black Tern, Yellow Wag'. An Arctic Tern was present this afternoon.

Another shot of the Black Tern, our first of the year. - Keith Pickering. With a forecast of southeast winds and rain tomorrow this may well not be the last.

A visit to Old Moor tonight, the best bird being a single Greenshank which was on the Wader Scrape for a short while before leaving east. It had also visited Wombwell Ings first. The two Med' Gulls (the male reared here in 2010 and a second-summer female, well, hopefully female anyway!) were busy at it on the Wader Scrape. This is the first time I have seen 'our birds' latest pull and I have to say I was not over impressed as she sported a spotty forehead and only one leg. That said, seeing as his last two pulls turned out to be males I guess he'll take what he can get! A Black Tern flew east over the Mere this morning, though whether or not this was the bird that took up residence on Wombwell Ings a little later is open to debate.

BITTERNS: The great news is that the Bitterns are now feeding young at the Reedbeds. So, as was the case last year, the area will be closed off with a viewing area set up on the switch-back. Wardens will be monitoring from the raised hide and hopefully arrangements will soon be in place to allow visitors to join them on a booking basis. More details on this soon.

One of the Bitterns at Old Moor - Daniel Langston