Sunday 31 May 2020

Wilthorpe Marsh 31/5/20.

Very steady for birds. Better for fish. 3 Parakeets includes 1 calling from a new area. L Egret, GS Pecker, Sedge Warbler and Yellowhammer still singing at w end. Good for Chub in the warm weather with c60 seen, some about 18 inch long. Hundreds of Minnows.

Carlton Marsh

Today's highlights were; Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, male and female Kestrel, Kingfisher, Little Ringed Plover , 120 Herring Gulls and Cuckoo. New broods of 5 Gadwall and 2 Coot were on show and a Small Copper butterfly was on the wing. (J. Plant/CG)

Cudworth
A Little Owl was singing on a lighting tower at the Dorothy Hyman Stadium at 23.00hrs last night. (CG)

Wintersett 31.05.20

13 - 19 degrees with 0/8 cloud and a light north easterly.
Wintersett Res:  2 Cuckoos were heard this morning - 1m on the west bank + 1m in Wintersett.  Village.  A family of 4 Willow Tit were seen on the north east bank .  At least 4 young Treecreepers were in the Willow Wood.   11 Common Terns were flying over and around.   69 Herring Gulls flew north at dusk.    
Anglers CP: 2 Little Ringed Plovers and 2 young Oystercatchers were on the islands.  Little Grebe 2.
Moorhouse Lane Ponds:  4 large/fledged young  Mallards were on Big Pond.
Lepidoptera: A Large Skipper,  a Meadow Brown and a male Orange Tip were notable this morning at Moorhouse Lane Ponds.
Flora: Two Common Spotted Orchids were seen at MLPond.

               Common Spotted Orchids      MLPond     ASmith

Saturday 30 May 2020

Ewden valley track 30/5/20.

Very steady and birds scarce at times. Again not many raptor species with Hobby, 7 C Buzzards, 2 Kestrels. Swift movement began mid aft with c 120 north. Raven 3, Cuckoo 2 males with 1 showing well on the ground. Pair of Ring Ouzel and a family party of Stonechat showed well at the cabin . Golden Plover 3, 1 chipping Snipe, Meadow Pipit c 40 with some in pairs and 2 feeding young. Willow Warbler sang constant at the cabin + pair of Stock Dove.

Wilthorpe Marsh / Fleets Dam 30/5/20. P Middleton.

Oxbow pond. GW Egret and L Egret early morning + Lapwing with chicks. GC Grebe with a chick on the Fleets Dam could be the first ever.

Wintersett 30.05.20

15 - 20 degrees, hot an sunny with a very light easterly.
Anglers CP: Wigeon 1m .  Shoveler 3m. Little Ringed Plover 2.
Walton Hall: Wigeon 1 female.  Mute Swan 16.  Sand Martin 10.  Greylag Goslings: 5 broods totalling 19 young . 
Wintersett Res: Black Tern 1.  Mediterranean Gull 1 adult sitting on water, then flew north at 10.46hrs..  Pochard 4.  Great Crested Grebe 11 + 2 ACP + 2adults and 3 young Walton Hall. 
Cold Hiendley SF: Yellow Wagtail 2. 
13 birds were ringed at Wintersett, including: 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Willow Warbler. 
Odonata: 4 Spotted Chaser 8 Walton Golf Course.  30 Red-eyed Damselflies at Botany Bay. 
Reptile: Grass Snake 1 CHSF.  

Carlton Marsh

Very quiet birdwise now the highlight being a male Cuckoo singing and a 'Hepatic' female babbling. (Jim Plant)
This afternoon 6 pairs of Tufted Duck were present and the female Cuckoo. The shots below were the best I could do.
Insects included 5 Four Spotted Chasers.

 Hepatic female Cuckoo (CG)



29/5/20 Moorland Fringe

Out from 6.30-10pm in the evening sun covering a couple of areas on the moorland edge.

Highlights were a Nightjar pair seen well as they left a young tree plantation and flew a short distance onto the moor and landed, before returning overhead soon after. Churring first noted at 9.22 and becoming more frequent afterwards. Another male sang in the area too.

A Long-eared Owl silently flew low over the moor as light faded and out of sight - excellent to see. Also, 2 Cuckoo’s called, one giving great nearby views sat on a fence post.

5 singing Spotted Flycatchers were seen across 3 locations within a half-mile stretch, Willow Warblers still sang well and were fairly numerous with 3 each of Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

Curlews (c25) called throughout and many alarmed with presumed young nearby although I only saw one juvenile in the long grass. Lapwing also alarmed and 2 Snipe chipped on territory. Linnets were very apparent in separate small parties totalling 30 overall, as were Goldfinch and Meadow Pipit with at least 4 of the latter seen food carrying.

I counted 6 singing Skylarks plus 10 Swift flew overhead in pairs and a Raven circled above the reservoir.

Friday 29 May 2020

29/05/2020 - Wharncliffe Area

Wharncliffe Heath: Pied Flycatcher - 2
Wharncliffe Chase: Redstart - male in Pales Wood, Raven - 4 in the north, Tree Pipit - 5 in the south
Wharncliffe Wood: Woodcock - at least 6 roding, Tawny Owl - 2

Carlton Marsh 28/5/20

A walk down last night at dusk provided a calling Water Rail, Tawny Owl with prey to feed calling young, a calling fly over Long-eared Owl, 3 Daubenton's Bat and several Pippistrelle.

Barrow Reclamation
A singing Cuckoo, Buzzard, 2 Large Skipper, 185 Small Heath, 4 Burnet Companion, 4 Broad-bodied Chaser and 3 Four Spot Chaser. (Chris Parkin)

Cudworth Common 
Male Broad-bodied Chaser, Large Red Damsel, 20 Small Heath, 10 Common Blue, 3m Brimstone (Les Corrall)

Treble Lines in Dave Smith's Carlton garden moth trap on 27/5/20

Red-legged Partridge have bred in Les Corrall's Cudworth garden.

Wintersett 29.05.20

Very hot and sunny.  Up to 22 degrees, 0/8 cloud and a light south easterly.
Wintersett Res: An adult and a young Willow Tit were on the NE bank.  Mallard 7 small young.  Goldeneye 1 female.  Common Tern 5.   18 Canada Geese flew over.  
Anglers CP: A Whimbrel flew west.  Little Ringed Plover 3.  Yellow Wagtail 1.  A Red Kite with wing moult flew over.
Odonata: Emperor 1 male CHRes.. 
Lepidoptera: Orange Tip 1 male.


Thursday 28 May 2020

Wintersett 28.05.20

14 - 22 degrees, hot with clear blue sky and a light south easterly.
Wintersett Res: Goosander 2f.  Goldeneye 1f.  Swift 400 + 50 ACP.  Cetti's Warbler 6 males. Common Tern 12.
Anglers CP: Oystercatcher 6 + 2 young. Little Ringed Plover 2. Greylag Goose 2 left north at 09.10hrs. A Curlew circled around 09.20hrs, then left west. Ringed Plover 1 at 09.30hrs. Willow Tit 1.
Odonata: Red-eyed Damselfly 15m + 2 pairs in cop WRes + 18m + 16 pairs in cop. 4 Spotted Chaser 1 ACP + 1 MLPond.
Lepidoptera: Orange Tip 1 Botany.  Green-veined White 1 MLPond.

             4 Spotted Chaser   Anglers CP             ASmith