Dearne Valley Weekender

Old Moor Saturday January 30th

Started early yesterday morning and I was in the Wader Scrape at 07.45, as the days are getting longer now I was too late for the Goosanders and Cormorants and they had all left. Fortunately Dave Waddington was earlier than me and counted 42 Goosanders and 55 Cormorants leaving the roost. However I did catch the Little Egrets leaving and counted 7 birds. There were 3 Goldeneye on the Mere with another 3 on the Main Marsh. A text from Dave alerted me that he had seen 2 Bearded Tits from the Reedbed Screen, therefore I made my way round there but despite spending 90 minutes looking I drew a blank. Compensation was a Water Rail swimming across the channel in front of the screen and a Peregrine over. 2 Buzzards were up over Bolton, 2 Green Sandpipers flew over the Mere and there were 240 Gadwall on the Mere/Field Pools. Later on I returned for the roost, the weather was mixed to say the least but the birds were good, I counted 64 Cormorants and 7 Little Egrets coming in. 43 Shoveler were busily feeding on the Main Marsh and a Barn Owl was hunting

Adwick Washland Sunday January 31st

I arrived at Adwick at 10.30 this morning, the weather was poor with drizzle and 4c. Nothing unusual seen today but I did record the following:- Little Egret 2, Shelduck 3, Wigeon 56, Teal 63, Gadwall 39, Shoveler 6, Grey Partridge 7, Lapwing 45.

Wombwell Ings Sunday January 31st

Following lunch in the Old Moor Cafe I had a walk onto Wombwell Ings for the first time this year, the vegetation has been cut and the Ings are looking good for the spring. 2 Little Egrets were feeding as were 171 Wigeon, 108 Lapwing and 125 Golden Plover were resting. A Peregrine flew through and put everything up, a Grey Wagtail was feeding on the River Dearne and Jeff spotted a Water Rail in the Bulling Dyke opposite the Old Moor Tavern, I was too slow and missed it.

Old Moor Sunday January 31st

Onto Old Moor for the roost and with Jeff in the Wader Scrape hide and myself in the Wath Ings hide we had everything covered. 62 Cormorants came in and 9 Little Egrets were counted, a great total for January and heres hoping for another record breaking year. Jeff counted 46 Goosanders on the Wader Scrape, a drake Pintail was on the Main Marsh and there were 9 Goldeneye in total. The pair of Bearded Tits were again seen from the Reedbed Screen this morning.