Old Moor Sofa

Again apologies for late blog, still too busy/lazy to sort my problems out.

An update on the number of species recorded in the Old Moor Area this year, at the end of April the total was 138.

A further 6 species were added in May as follows:- Garganey on 2nd (139), Bar Tailed Godwit on 11th (140), Arctic Tern on 12th (141), Turnstone on 12th (142), Sanderling on 12th (143) and Curlew Sandpiper on 27th (144).

Therfore at the end of May the total was 144.

A further 5 species were added in June as follows:- Common Crane on 8th (145), Gull Billed Tern on 16th (146), Long eared Owl on 19th (147), Red Necked Phalarope on 20th (148) and Little Bittern on 30th (149).

Therefore at the end of June the total was 149.

Already in July a further 3 species have been added:- Black Necked Grebe on 4th (150), American Wigeon also on 4th (151) and Greenshank yesterday (152).

In my last blog I mentioned the very poor spring we were having and it continued up untill the 15th June. I also mentioned that things could change tomorrow and on the morning of the 16th June the spring/summer/year really got going. Dave Waddington found a Gull Billed Tern on the Wader Scrape and eventually everybody who wanted to got great views as it stayed untill dusk.

Then on the afternoon of the 30th whilst Bittern monitoring Keith Pickering saw and photographed a male Little Bittern on the reedbeds. What followed has been well documented and again everyone has seen the bird who wished to, one of my memories will be arriving at the Old Moor Car Park just after 5.00 am seeing loads of cars already there with only standing room in the Bittern Hide. Surely never to be repeated or will it............

On the 5th day of the Little Bittern (Saturday 4th July) things got even better when John McLoughlin found a drake American Wigeon on the Main Marsh, there was also the first Black Necked Grebe of the year on the Mere. One of the best days ever?

So a day at Old Moor now you could see Little Bittern, American Wigeon, Bittern, Avocets, Little Egrets etc etc. Not bad for a puddle at the side of a stream.

Now looking forward to the Autumn.