Lower Dearne Valley Weekender

Old Moor - Saturday 21st November

Paid a quick visit onto Old Moor yesterday morning and was rewarded with 4 adult Whooper Swans present on the Mere. They were on an island in front of the Mere hide but unfortunately spent all the time asleep only occasionally lifting their heads, a great sight though. Also on the Mere were 30 Cormorants and at least 3 Goldeneye. Onto the Main Marsh where the Spotted Redshank was still present along with a Redshank.

Adwick Washland - Sunday 22nd November

A visit to Adwick this morning produced a shock with the waters 95% iced over. All the wildfowl were on the pools to the left of the path to the viewpoint which was the only water ice free. I counted 55 Wigeon, 53 Teal, 14 Gadwall and 4 female Shoveler. There were 26 Common Gulls stood on the ice with the Black Headed Gulls and 15 Herring Gulls flew North with a Greater Black Backed Gull. A flock of 14 Lapwings flew over and settled in a field on the northern boundary.

Old Moor - Sunday 22nd November

Onto Old Moor this afternoon for the roost, most of the waters were ice free apart from the Main Marsh/Willow Pool which had c25% ice. A couple of Goldeneye were on the Mere and from the Wader Scrape hide 10 Dunlin were busily feeding on the one of the islands on the Mere and 1 Ruff was feeding on "Death Island" with a few Lapwings. A couple of Goosanders were on the Wader Scrape and from the Wath Ings hide a Redshank was present on the Willow Pool. No sign of the Spotted Redshank today, has the cold weather forced it out? The Cormorants started coming into roost but the first 9 flew down the valley to Denaby, the final count roosting were 35 birds. Only 2 Little Egrets were seen coming in, again probably weather related. Jeff came up with the goods after finding a Jack Snipe feeding out in the open on the new workings on the Main Marsh along with 8 Snipe. There were 2 Barn Owls out hunting and Jeff returned to the Wader Scrape to count the Goosanders as they came into roost, total of 13 with 7 drakes, he also counted 87 Shoveler.