Elsecar

Elsecar Reservoir - 1 Greylag Goose; 1 drake Gadwall; c40 Mallards; 5 Tufted Ducks; 1 Grey Heron; 6 Great Crested Grebes; 11 Moorhes, 12+ Coors; c20 Black-headed Gulls; 10+ Swallows and a pair Pied Wagtails.

Wintersett WeBS April (totals on 09.04.16)

The Wintersett area WeBS totals for April 2016 are:

Mute Swan 9,   Canada Goose 37,   Greylag Goose 4,   Cormorant 1,    Coot 105,   Moorhen 13,   Great Crested Grebe 16,   Teal 11,   Shoveler 3,   Wigeon 6,   Mallard 31,   Gadwall 34,   Tufted Duck 121,   Goldeneye 37,   Goosander 1,   Grey Heron 1,   Oystercatcher 4,   Lapwing 2.

Wintersett 15.04.16

7 - 9 degrees with 8/8 cloud and a cool, light northerly.
Wintersett Res: A SEDGE  WARBLER  and a REED  WARBLER were in the boathouse reeds.  2m Lesser Whitethroats were on the east bank.  A CUCKOO was heard from the SW corner and than again on ACP this afternoon.   Shoveler  4m.   A Tawny Owl was calling.
Cold Hiendley Res:Teal 1m + 1f.
Anglers CP: Oystercatcher 6

Wintersett 14.04.16

6 - 10 degrees, with sun first thing, but increasing cloud and a cool northerly.
Wintersett Res: The first male Lesser Whitethroat was on the north east bank from early morning.  Common Sandpiper 1 and Canada Goose 8.  just 4/11 Mallard Ducklings surviving.
Anglers CP: Shoveler 2m + 1m WRes.,  Snipe 4 .   A visitor reported a Common Tern over lake at 11.30hrs being mobbed by Black-headed Gulls and a Wood Warbler at 12.00hrs between Main Hide and Pol.

Worsbrough Res

Between 1100-1300 30 Swallow, 8 Sand Martin, 12 House Martin, 14 Chiffchaff, 12 Blackcap and one Willow Warbler.

Gunthwaite & Castle Dams

Gunthwaite Dam - 5 Tufted Ducks, one pair Little Grebe, two pairs Moorhen and one pair Coot.
Gadding Moor, Gunthwaite - 1 female Wheatear.
Castle Dam, Penistone - 26 Canada Geese, 1 female Wigeon, 2 drake Mallards, one pair Tufted Ducks, 2 Moorhens, 16 Coots, 10+ Swallows and one pair Pied Wagtails.
Sheephouse - 200+ Golden Plover.

Wintersett NE corner

Early afternoon - Lesser Whitethroat still singing - also Cetti's and
flying around feeding at 1.45 pm ~ a bat!
I know little about bats but this was much too large for a pipistrelle, it wasn't a Daubenton's and had nice rounded ears so a Noctule?

Wintersett + Cetti's Pics 13.04.16

8 - 13 degrees with sunshine but  increasing cloud to mid afternoon and a cool north easterly.
Anglers CP: A male  GARGANEY was new for the year list.  Common  Sandpiper 1 + 1 WRes..  2 adult Mediterranean Gulls flew south.   Teal 7 + 2 WRes  and Wigeon 2m (including the golden-headed) + a pair on MLPond.   Just 2/9 Mallard Ducklings surviving.    A Brimstone male was seen.
Haw Park Wood: A RED KITE was circling over with 4 Buzzards  + 3 Buzzards over Santingley area.
Disposal Point: Green Woodpecker 1m,  and a Grey Partridge was in the area. 
Wintersett Res: Shoveler 1m,  Siskin 1 over.  All 4 male Cetti's Warbler  were heard, with the Boathouse Reeds male showing brilliantly for Keith Webster who took these cracking photos.  Many thanks to him!

Male Cetti's Warbler        WRes     K Webster

Cetti's Warbler     WRes.    KWebster

          Buzzard             KWebster

Ingbirchworth area

Ingbirchworth Reservoir - 10 Canada Geese, pair Teal, 24 Mallards, 10 Tufted Ducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Moorhens, 15 Coots, 3 Oystercatchers, 3 'bubbling' Curlews, 72 Black-headed Gulls, 3 s Skylarks,11 s Willow Warblers, 1 m Common Whitethroat, 9 s Robins, 1 m Common Redstart and two pairs Pied Wagtails.
Ingbirchworth Fishing Pond - pair Canada Geese,1 Mallard and 4 Moorhens.
Ingbirchworth Lane (track between Scout Dike & Royd Moor Res) - 6 s Skylarks and 2 s Yellowhammers.
Royd Moor Reservoir - 10 Mallards, 3 Tufted Ducks, 1 Grey Heron, pair Little Grebe, pair Great Crested Grebe, 5 Black-headed Gulls, 1 male Kestrel and  pair Pied Wagtail,
Whitley Edge - 2 Ravens.
Midhope Reservoir - 2 Greylag Geese, 1 drake Teal and pair Moorhen.

Wintersett 12.04.16

8 - 12 degrees with 8/8 and drizzle/rain until late afternoon.
Wintersett Res: An ARCTIC TERN was flying around from 13.30hrs.   6 from 11 vsy Mallard Ducklings surviving.
Anglers CP: The adult Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in.  Snipe 2,  Wigeon 4  and Sand Martin 100.

Wintersett 11.04.16

8 degrees with 8/8 and a cool north westerly breeze.  Some hazy sun mid morning.
Anglers CP: A Red Kite was circling over Santingley area. Psycho the adult Yellow-legged Gull and his mate the Lesser Black-backed Gull were on top of the Sand Martin Box.  Shoveler 3m.
Wintersett Res: Siskin 1over.  7 surviving, very small Mallard Ducklings from the brood of 11.    Nuthatch 1 in Pits Wood.
Lepidoptera: The first BRIMSTONE  male was seen in Pits Wood by Ralph Hibbert and Les Corral.

Carlton Marsh

3 Water Rails, Grey Wag and 2 Little Owls. Butterflies included 2 male Brimstones and 10 Peacocks.
An Orange-tip was seen at Storrs Mill Wood (Chris Parkin)

Two youths shooting air rifles near the Sash pond at Grimethorpe recently were reported to the police. If anyone should see them again please contact the police on 101. (Keith Bannister)

Ewden valley cabin and return 10/4/16.

11am to 4-30pm. Sunny and breezy with good light but steady birding. Raptors scarce, the highlight a male Merlin chasing a pipit, Buzzards regular but only about 6 and just 1 Kestrel. 1 displaying Raven, 40 Jackdaws at holt farm, Meadow Pipit 40+, 2 pairs of Sand Martins and 1 Swallow going n. through the valley, 1 male Stonechat at s bend, 1 singing Willow Warbler, 1 chipping Snipe, 2 Golden Plovers heard only, 1 Nuthatch at entrance gate, 1 bright white Mountain Hare.

Wintersett 10.04.16

0 - 10 degrees, frosty start, calm with clear sky and sunshine.  Freshening easterly this afternoon with thin, high clouds pushing in from the south and hazy sunshine.
Anglers CP:  Shelduck 1,  Golden Plover 35 N + 35 CHfields,  Shoveler 4,  Wigeon 5 and Goldeneye 37.  Psycho, the adult Yellow-legged Gull, and his Lesser Black-backed Gull mate, came in and caused mayhem to all the other birds present. 
Highlight of the day was a RAVEN, picked up circling with a Buzzard, over HPWood at 10.50hrs by Graham Speight.  It glided over to Vis.Mig. Hill where it circled again, calling loudly overhead, before drifting back to the west at 11.00hrs. Many thanks to  a very lucky  Keith Webster, who was in the right place at the right time to get these good  photos,as it drifted away. 

                               Raven                   ACP       K Webster

Chiffchaff  (Ringed)    Willow  Wood WRes   KWebster.

Hartcliff Hill

Typically steady but a cracking day weatherwise. Best bird was a male Ring Ouzel near the ventilation shaft, which is my earliest ever here. I tend to pick them up from mid-month, assuming these are Scandinavian bound birds. C.100 Golden Plover were the first noted in a few weeks. Three Swallows and two Willow Warblers were my first of the year here (c.340m above sea level). Surprisingly no Wheatears here yet but a Nuthatch in trees by Doubting Farm.
Cheers
Russ
http://shapesthatsometimesfly.blogspot.co.uk/

Wintersett 09.04.16

3 - 10 degrees with increasing cloud and a cool westerly.
Anglers CP: Teal 8,  Shoveler 2m + 1f,  Siskin 2 + 4 NW,  Wigeon 1m + 1f and Goosander 1m. The adult Yellow-legged Gull flew in at 11.53hrs.   A RED  KITE flew over at 14.00hrs.  A brood of 9 vsy Mallard Ducklings was seen on the Pol.
Wintersett Res: The Mallard brood is down from 11 to 9 vsy.
Cold Hiendley SF: Yellow Wagtail 1.
Haw Park Wood: Redpoll 10.
In the area: 3 Nuthatch - Botany,  HPWood and 1 Golf Club.    3m Green Woodpecker - ACP,  Haw Park Lane and Canal near Golf Club.  
Many thanks to Chris Swaine @CroftonBirder  for these great shots taken this morning.

Yellow Wagtail             CSwaine

Green Woodpecker       CSwaine

Nuthatch       CSwaine

Of interest: Black-headed Wagtail at Swillington Ings today.

Carlton Marsh

Siskin 1 north, Buzzard 2, Grey Wag 2, Blackcap 3, Chiffchaff 16 singing males, 2 Redshank, 2 Water Rail and Little Owl.

Yellow Wagtail was new in today. (Geoff Miller)

Edderthorpe area, Saturday

A long trudge around the area revealed;-
Edderthorpe & Houghton,  Shelduck 4, Mallard 74, Wigeon 4, Gadwall 85, Shoveler 19, Teal 48, Tufted Duck 49, Pochard 3, Cormorant 4, Little Grebe 6, Coot 74, Lapwing 40, Redshank 12, Common Snipe 22. A minimum of 12 Common Buzzards were in view from the top of Park Spring Tip, Kestrel 4, Sparrowhawk 2.
Ferry Moor & Cudworth Common, Mallard 24, Wigeon 2, Teal 6, Gadwall 2, Tufted Duck 21, Cormorant 2, Little Grebe 4, Lapwing 57, Ringed Plover 9, LRP 2, Redshank 10.

LITTLE RIVER DON VALLEY 9TH APRIL

2 Male Ring Ouzels in same field as last year ie last field before farm buildings,also c100 Fieldfares in same area. Plus Grey Wagtail,Song Thrush,Mistle Thrush,Dipper,Treecreeper,Siskin,Raven,Curlew,Nuthatch,Goldcrest and Common Buzzard

Also dog off its lead killed a lamb near the rivers edge? Another idiot dog walker?

Wintersett 08.04.16

6 - 10 degrees with scattered,  but increasing, cloud and a light south westerly. Short shower midday.
Anglers CP: The highlight today was a Red Kite that drifted slowly, high south at 11.40hrs.  Shoveler 2m,  Wigeon 3m + 1f and Curlew flew over.
Wintersett Res:  Teal 1m  and 1f  + 1m ACP and Siskin 1over.   10 of the 11 very small Mallard Ducklings were seen.