Old Moor / Broomhill Flash (1 Viewer)

On Friday, just gone, I took the day off work to celebrate the departure of my erstwhile boss. Let's say, it's been a challenge!!!

Anyway, as partnyorsha works over that way, I took the chance to drop her off at work, and spend some time birding at Old Moor and Broomhill.

As I like me ducks, I was happy to see plenty (if not gazillions) in attendance, and I managed to come away with quite a good list overall.

I would like to pay thanks to one fellow birder, who, as I was just about to leave the Mere Hide, told me he'd clocked some Snipe. I'd managed to miss them, and in fact it took me long enough to find them even with him teling me where they were!

Anyway, some good views.

At the same time, he notices some bunting-type birds. Our combined efforts at id could do no better than "probably Reed Bunting", but neither of us was that confident, and so they went down as unided.

Well, that's half the joy of this hobby of ours, n'est-ce pas?

So Mere Hide first for a couple of hours. Then I spent an hour at the feeders, before making use (on a lunch date with m'lady) of the cafe facilities.

After lunch, I went over to Broomhill for a change of scenery... seeing much the same stuff, before eventually coming back for another pleasant (if now rainy) couple of hours at Old Moor, in the Wath Ings Hide.

Here's the combined list...

Black-headed Gull
Blue Tit
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Collared Dove
Coot
Cormorant
Dunlin
Dunnock
Gadwall
Golden Plover
Goldfinch
Goosander
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Grey Heron
Greylag Goose
Lapwing
Little Grebe
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Moorhen
Mute Swan
Pied Wagtail
Pochard
Redshank
Robin
Ruddy Duck
Shoveler
Snipe
Starling
Stock Dove
Stonechat
Teal
Tree Sparrow
Tufted Duck
Wigeon
Woodpigeon
Wren

Nice list Birdman, several of them would be lifers for me.

I keep saying I am going to Old Moor, but have never yet had the time, but it makes me all the more determined when I see a list like yours.

nice list and with a bit more time and searching you should get pheasant, red- legged partridge, reed bunting, yellowhammer and little owl not to mention the goodies that's been there over the last three weeks like great white egret, little egret, peregrine. So keep visiting and good hunting.
jaycee

ps I get the best of both worlds i work there.

It's a good reserve; I usually get around 40 species nowadays (it used to be more a few years ago)

Next time you're there you might want to try having a quick look at Edderthorpe Flash (where I believe there's been a Green Winged Teal recently), and if you feel like a bit of a walk Wombwell Ings can produce good stuff (waders and passage migrants like Water Pipit). There's a map in the Visitors' Centre at Old Moor which shows you how to reach these places; they're all within a mile or two.

We saw the Green-winged Teal at Edderthorpe Flash a couple of weeks ago - our new residence is only five minutes drive away. Unfortunately, we failed to find it last weekend, so I don't know if it's disappeared or was just hiding.

A few hundred yards up the road (towards Grimethorpe) there is a new wetland area being created. It was a small flooded area only a few weeks ago, but the excavators have made a large lake with a couple of small islands. Geese and ducks are already taking up residence.