Old Moor Sofa

An update on the number of species recorded in the Old Moor Area this year, at the end of August the total was 168.

A further five species were added in September as follows - Crossbill on 2nd (169), Spotted Crake on 15th (170), Turnstone on 19th (171), Cattle Egret on 21st (172) and finally Grey Phalarope on 21st (173), 

At the end of September 2015 the total was 160 therefore we are a further thirteen species better off this year.

A further 16 species were seen up to the end of August in 2015 and 2016 but not seen this year - Red Necked Grebe, Egyptian Goose, Bean Goose, Little Bittern, Night Heron, American Wigeon, Red Crested Pochard, Red Footed Falcon, Curlew Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Gull Billed Tern, Long Eared Owl, Alpine Swift, Redstart & Rock Pipit.

As the weather got cooler in September the birding got hotter, a Spotted Crake appeared on the Reedbeds on 15th and on the 21st a new species for the area when a Cattle Egret was at Wombwell Ings and Broomhill Flash early morning. The Egret quickly moved on but later in the day a Grey Phalarope was found on the Main Marsh. Fortunately the Phalarope is still present today, a stay of 24 days and counting, it must have found something it likes. And finally the first Turnstone of the year was on Broomhill Flash on 19th, just the one and for one day but they all count. The count total of 173 is surely near a record with still about ten weeks to New Years Eve, who knows what will turn up in those ten weeks?

For comparison some other inland sites totals are as follows:- Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire 172, Upton Warren, Worcestershire 144 and Potteric Carr, South Yorkshire ???