Wonderful Wheatears

Tuesday 30^th August decided to have a visit to RSPB Old Moor. I really like the site, with the hides being quite close together, and a very good café (which I think I’ve mentioned before!!)

In the area called the Dearne valley, as well as RSPB Old Moor, there is RSPB Wombwell Ings, and also Broomhill Flash belonging to the Garganey Trust.   The good news is that the new 2-storey hide at Broomhill is now open, and that extra 10 feet in the air does get a better view over the reedbed area at the other side of the flash. 5 local experts (and 3 exuberant dogs) are in situ, and if you can understand Yorkshire dialect, they are happy to share knowledge of what is around. 

To-day, a good number of Little Egrets, Green Sandpiper, Snipe and Common Sandpiper, but sadly the bird I have seen here in the past, and need for 2016, a Red Legged Partridge is not present.

So it’s over to Old Moor for a look round the popular hides. Amanda is on duty, but has nothing ** much to report. I picked up Ringed Plover, and a total of 36 species + quiche, chips and beans!!

**On my way home Amanda texts to say a Wheatear dropped in briefly on the wader scrape, a bird that I see too infrequently.

The species we see in the UK are Northern Wheatears, but in Cyprus, I have been fortunate to see Cyprus Wheatears (endemic to Cyprus – of course!) and Isabelline Wheatears which stand very upright.

Our Wheatears are only in the UK from March to October and winter in Africa. One variant, the Greenland Wheatear has what is reckoned to be one of the longest annual wintering journeys, from Greenland to Africa. Not the longest of course because the Arctic Tern really has the Gold medal sewed up for that run.

When you get a species that is a bit special to you and you rarely see, I find you often remember a lot about those meetings.

I recall at Attenborough Gravel Pits, not surprisingly on the Wheatear field, in April time, a very tired bird just sitting on top of a bush, and not remotely interested in moving.  Another year it was the same at Lodmore nature reserve in Weymouth, Dorset, in that case sitting for ages on shingle.   

A couple of years ago during an autumn bird count at Markeaton Park, I was surprised to find a resting bird on the lip of a golf course bunker, and another meeting, at The Sanctuary nature reserve in Pride Park Derby, 2 or 3 very active birds. As I recall, these birds would have come down from breeding on the hills, pumped up and getting ready for the long journey back to Africa.  Very much a favourite bird of mine.

Sunday 4^th September was my monthly bird walk, and as I mentioned before and bang on cue, we had the 2,000^th person booked on the walk in just over 10 and a half years. Geoffrey Bartram received a bird nesting box (plus a bird i.d book) to commemorate the event and he has generously asked for the box to be mounted on a tree at Carsington Water. 19 people were on the walk, and with several good views, the BOD was a Little Ringed Plover. My IT adviser was present to-day, and his contribution was this close up picture of the BOD! (Note No eye ring)

If you are reading this in time, Andy Potter from radio Derby is coming to Carsington next Tuesday (6^th Sep) to talk to me, and also Pat, about my walks, and the interview will be in his 1pm programme on the same day. If you hear it and enjoy it, or even if you missed it, you can always hear it again on the web site!!!

This event has had good cover from the media with articles in Bird Watching Magazine, Derbyshire Images, Village Life, and possibly the Derby Telegraph, as well as BBC radio. Really encouraging when the press gives this welcome publicity.

Phew, that was a week!!