About forty Lesser Redpolls were seen in the late morning. There were also nine Common Snipe on the Slurry Lagoon. In the late afternoon a Bearded Tit was heard at the dry end of the Slurry Lagoon. RW.
Category Archives: Recent wildlife sightings
Yellow-legged Gull – 1st February
This morning the three water bodies were all mostly frozen over. There were a lot of gulls resting on the ice, including Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Herring, Common and Black-headed. Amongst one group of Black-headed Gulls on the Deep Pit was a Yellow-legged Gull. Also a pair of Black Swans have arrived from somewhere and are on the Deep Pit. At the dry end of the Slurry Lagoon a flock of about thirty Lesser Redpolls were feeding in the Birch trees. PS.
Bittern – 14th January
This morning a Peregrine was seen on the new pylon. A Bittern was seen flying over the Slurry Lagoon and the 21 Lesser Redpolls were again feeding in birches at the dry end of the Slurry Lagoon. The Ouse Dyke had up to four Chiffchaffs along it from Teal Close to the footbridge. PS.
Lesser Redpoll – 8th January
This morning a Peregrine flew along the pylons before perching on one across the river. At the dry end of the Slurry Lagoon 21 Lesser Redpoll were feeding on Birch seeds with one female Bullfinch. PS.
Peregrine – 6th January
This morning there were hundreds of Greylag and Canada Geese roosting on the Slurry Lagoon. They left en-mass as the morning lightened up. The new pylon had the two Peregrines on it for much of the morning, the female catching a gull and taking it up there to feed on. A Water Rail flew across in front of the Causeway bench and several Cetti’s were singing. PS.
Raven – 1st January
This morning things were pretty quiet at the lagoons. There were a lot of gulls passing through that paused briefly on the Slurry Lagoon. Several Water Rail were heard and one flew across in front of the Causeway bench. Three Cetti’s Warblers were heard singing. Two Ravens flew along the river to the pylons to perch for a while. Later a single Raven flew low over the Deep Pit. PS.
Egyptian Goose – 30th December
This morning two Peregrines were on the pylons. Two Egyptian Geese and a Pink-footed Goose were amongst the Greylags and Canadas. Seven singing Cetti’s Warblers and five Water Rail were heard. PS
Barn Owl – 26th December
This morning at dawn a Barn Owl was seen hunting near the Gravel Pits and a Peregrine was on the new pylon. Up to eight Water Rail were heard (with one seen) and three Cetti’s Warblers were singing. One Snipe was seen in the Slurry Lagoon reed bed. PS.
Short-eared Owl – 17th December
This morning there were flocks of birds going in all directions as they left their roosts and set off to find some breakfast, mostly thrushes, finches, crows, gulls, ducks and geese. Late morning a Short-eared Owl was found roosting in a bush near the Gravel Pits. PS.
Golden Plover – 16th December
This morning there were, as usual, good numbers of Greylag and Canada Geese and Mallards on the Slurry Lagoon, which went off to feed fairly early on. The hedgerows were full of thrushes, mostly Redwings, Blackbirds and Fieldfares. A flock of about three hundred Lapwings flew over with a flock of about fifty Golden Plovers, probably the ones from Holme Pierrepont. There were two Snipe on the Slurry Lagoon, an Egyptian Goose flew over and six Goldeneye were on the Large Gravel Pit. PS.