Carlton Marsh

This morning c30 Siskins (JP)

This afternoon with Paul and Ruth Thorpe at the wader scrape, 4 Shoveler, 1 Little Egret, 18 Lapwings, 35 Goldfinches on Knapweed. 2 juv. Whinchats feeding on the dike side in low scrub on the east side. They were the first since September 2015. A juv. Redstart was feeding from a large Hawthorn near them.

Today's butterfly count from Chris Parkin included, 2 Painted Lady, 9 Red Admiral, 7 Small Tortoiseshell, 5 Meadow Brown, 13 Speckled Wood, 1 Gatekeeper, 2 Small Heath, 1 Common Blue, 1 Small Copper, 7 Large White, 4 Small White and 2 GV White. There up to 25 Silver Y moths and 1 Mint moth (Pyrausta aurata) 

This evening c300 Canada and 110 Greylag Geese were feeding on stubble in a field overlooking the marsh. (JP) This is a new maximum for Greylag here beating the previous record of 60 south in 2016.

 A little later there was an estimated 400 Canada Geese on the stubble field and c1000 Swallows roosted in the reed beds. A Tawny Owl flew over the scrape at dusk. (Dave Standish)

Yesterday at Lttleworth Park 

102 Meadow Brown, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Small Copper, 9 Common  Blue, 12 Small Heath and c30 Silver Y moths. (Chris Parkin)

Wintersett 31.08.20

13 - 18 degrees with 5/8 cloud and a light south westerly.
Anglers CP + Vis.Mig: per @grayspeight
A Ruff  went east.  Crossbill 12 south,  Swallow 115 south.  2 Hobby and a Peregrine over. Common Buzzard 20.  Caspian Gull 1 juvenile (a real whopper),  Great Blackbacked Gull 2.  Greylag Goose 219.  Shoveler 11. Pochard 77.  Goldeneye 4.  Wigeon 1.  Great Crested Grebe 37 + 30 WRes..  Redshank 1.  Lapwing 250,   
Wintersett Res: per Pete Smith and @BeckyBailey101  
A Water Rail was in the west bank marsh.  Willow Tit 1 west bank.  Siskin 2 + 1 south over west bank clump. Swift 8.  Sand Martin 30.  House Martin100
79 birds were ringed this morning. Highlights were - 8 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 7 Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler,  7 Willow Warbler,   32 Chiffchaff, 5 Sand Martin,  1 Cettis Warbler. 

Carlton Marsh

A walk round with Dave Standish this evening produced 3 Swifts, 2 Shovelers, 18 Lapwings, 40 Canada south and 24 north, 2 Water Rails called from the reedbeds and 2 Tawny Owls flew out of their roost giving cracking views as the flew by us in good light. Then c400 Swallows came in to roost.

There were 2 Foxes near the wader scrape view point and 2 more at the back of the w. scrape at the same time!

Wintersett + Ringing 30.08.20

9 - 15 degrees with 8/8 cloud and a cold north easterlywind.
Anglers CP: Siskin 2 over.  Redshank 2 flew north at 07.26hrs, 1 seen later on shallows.  Yellow Wagtail 1 over.   Swift 3.  Gadwall 34.  Wigeon 4.
Wintersett Res: Pochard 52.
33 birds were ringed this morning; Highlights 5 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler,  2 Reed Warbler, 5 Goldfinch, 1 Linnet, 9 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush.

Ewden valley, G and J Wasse, S Green.

Cold in unseasonal winds but excellent light. Juv Goshawk showed quite well behind the lodge and a cc Marsh Harrier a few times were the best raptors. Also 2 juv Peregrines which were together at one stage, 2 Sparrowhawks, 8+ C Buzzards, 6 Kestrels. Ravens 10+, Siskin flock c 60, Stonechat c 3. Passage s. were c30 Swallow, c 15 House Martin, 1 Swift, c 140 Meadow Pipits includes a flock of about 100.

Carlton Marsh

This morning 18 Lapwings, 4 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 10 Siskins, Goldcrest, Great Spot Woodpecker, Kestrel, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Greenfinches, Goldfinch feeding a fledged young and 5 Swifts north. (JP/CG)

This evening 6 Swifts, and a Barn Owl hunting the wader scrape area. It left west after it caught a vole. (Dave Standish)

Wintersett 29.08.20

A cool 10 - 12 degrees, with 6/8 to 8/8 cloud and a fresh northerly breeze.
Anglers CP: Swift 20.  Yellow Wagtail 3 in fields.  Teal 1.   
Wintersett Res: Pochard 44 + 3 ACP.  Sand Martin 40.  Goldeneye 4 females.  A juvenile Peregrine caught a Swift and ate it in the west bank field.  A Whitethroat in SW area.
Cold Hiendley: Gadwall 162.  Shoveler 3.
Lepidoptera: A Painted Lady was on the Dam Wall Wintersett Res.  A Red Admiral, a  Speckled Wood and 2 Large White were on bramble at the edge of the Willow Wood.

 Peregrine  devouring a Swift  CHfield.   ASmith

Wintersett 28.08.20

11-13 degrees, with rain at first, 8/8 cloud  and a cool, light northerly breeze.
Anglers CP: Wigeon 4.  Teal 5.  Shoveler 1.  Swift 12.  Great Black-backed Gull 1 immature.  Wintersett Res: Arctic Tern 2 juveniles briefly, late morning.  Swallow 200.  House Martin 200.  Hobby 1.

LAMMERGEIER (retrospective)

Lammergeier from July - Aug (note reference to the Graham Speight post on 16th July - apologies to Graham for the delay)

A few images and video from the previous location along Dukes Road and the nearby roost. I have added a few also from its recent position at Crowden as these are a bit better - hopefully of interest to members.

Carlton Marsh

This morning 18 Lapwings, 6 Sand Martins south, possible adult Yellow-legged Gull flushed by machinery before had chance to I.D. properly and Sparrowhawk and few Siskins. (Dave Standish/JP)

I had 4 Teal, a singing Goldrest, the first of autumn, a male Vapourer and 1 Silver Y moth. (CG)

This evening 2 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Partridges and 30 Canada Geese flew down the valley. (JP)

Wintersett + Ringing 27.08.20

12 - 15 degrees, with 8/8 cloud and a light, easterly breeze.
Anglers CP: 220 Linnet were in the CP field. A Nuthatch was on Haw Park Lane.
Going south: Redpoll 1,  Siskin 10,  Meadow Pipit 1.
85 Birds were ringed this morning.
Highlights were:- Willow Warbler 5,  Chiffchaff 16,  Reed Warbler 7,  Blackcap 16,  Goldfinch 8 and Linnet 21.
Lepidoptera: A Painted Lady was on the west bank WRes.. 

Carlton Marsh

 Mot much change here, 6 Greylags, Green Sandpiper, 10 Swift, c60 Goldfinch and Buzzard (JP).

Wintersett 26.08.20

14 - 17 degrees with sun,  variable light cloud and a cool west north westerly breeze.
Anglers CP:  The highlight today was an juvenile Spoonbill  seen by Steve Denny, flying west over the country Park at 14:25, then circling the Pol field, before leaving north west.  Gray Speight managed to get onto it from  the car park!   It was picked up at 14.35hrs going west  at Pugneys by Ian Beveridge @fisermanian.    An adult Common Tern flew north at 10.45hrs.  A juvenile, male Peregrine flew over at 11.14hrs.  A Goosander went west.   An adult Yellow-legged Gull flew west + an adult and a sub adult were on the water.  Teal 8.  Wigeon 1.  Swift 8. Common Sandpiper 1.  Herring Gull 180.  Lesser Blackbacked Gull 150.  Yellow Wagtail 1.  Hobby 1.
Wintersett Res: Goldeneye 4 females.  Mallard 180 + 80 ACP.  Shoveler 2.  Sand Martin 30 .  220 Linnet were in the Ruin field.

Wintersett 25.08.20

15 - 16 degrees, cold, dull and damp, with 8/8 cloud, drizzle in the morning, prolonged rain in the afternoon and a moderate to strong westerly wind.
Anglers CP: A Hobby flew over.  A Tree Pipit flew over at 11.50hrs.  Goldfinch 180.
Wintersett Res:  Wigeon 3.  Pochard 32 + 21 ACP.  Goldfinch 180.

Wintersett + Ringing + Gull Roost 24.08.20

15 - 19 degrees with sun,  5/8 cloud and a north easterly wind.
Wintersett Res: A Water Rail was in the west bank marsh.   2 Willow Tit  on the west bank.  Swift 17.  Shoveler 7.  A Crossbill flew over at 10.17hrs.
62 Birds were ringed today: Willow Warbler 10   Chiffchaff 14   Reed Warbler 5   Sedge Warbler 2   Whitethroat 2   Blackcap 6.  Garden Warbler 1   Goldfinch 14.
Wintersett Res Gull roost tonight, per @StevieD131  
Yellow Legged Gull 3 adults,  Lesser Black-backed Gull 172,  Herring Gull 186,  Common Gull 1. A Greenshank flew over to Anglers Country Park.

Carlton Marsh

8 Canada Geese and 2 Greylags came in off the fields first thing. 2 Cormorants flew south, 2 Kingfishers, Siskin, Willow Tit narrowly evaded capture, Treecreeper, Coal Tit, Green and Great Spot Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard. (JP/CG)

Woolley 

Numbers are decreasing fast now 1 Brown Argus, 4 Small copper, 21 Common Blue, 32 Small Heath, 27 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Gatekeeper, 23 Speckled Wood and 1 Red Admiral. (Chris Parkin)

24/8/20 Ewden Height + Midhope Res

Ewden Height: 5 Tree Pipit south, 27 Meadow Pipit south with c23 resident, 41 LBBG S/SE in small groups, 3 Lesser Redpoll, Common Whitethroat

Midhope Res: 7 Little Grebe, 2 Tufted Duck, Teal

Low Moor/ Midhope 23/8/20.

Good start but ruined by rain after 20 minutes. Merlin 1 towards langsett res found and chased by Swallows. Crossbill 6, Raven 3, C Buzzard 1, Siskin 2, Meadow Pipit 2.

Carlton Marsh

Todays highlights were 30 Canada Geese, 14 Lapwuing, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Willow Tit, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler and 1 Swift. (JP)

Wintersett WeBS August 2020

Here are the  Wintersett WeBS counts for August 2020.

Great Crested Grebe 74.  Little Grebe 7.  Black-necked Grebe 1.  Mute Swan 44.  Canada Goose 272.  Greylag Goose 162.  Cormorant 12.  Coot 388.  Moorhen 22.  Mallard 177.  Shoveler 5.  Goldeneye 4.  Teal 5.  Gadwall 100,  Grey Heron 4.  Lapwing 106.  Pochard 32.  Tufted Duck 286.