April 8th - April 24th 2023
The Persistent Birder Rides Again!
This story begins on the 27th of March when I went to Old Moor for my first attempt to see the elusive ring-tailed duck. Between March 27th and April the 24th I tried 4 times [in total] to track down this bird. Persistence sometimes pays off...
April 7th: Old Moor
No ring-necked duck seen by the assembled crowd. Spoonbill in the mist on Wath Ings and a great crested grebe from Wader Scrape hide.
April 8th: A trip to Ossett
A pair [i.e. two - not necessarily male and female as far as I know] of adult black-crowned night herons were reported on the River Calder.
Views of the location from the bridge.
Part of a bit of an influx across the country. The first bird seen was determinedly fast asleep whilst a crowd of birders watched in hope for a bit of action. This came when the second bird flew in.
April 13th: Bishop Middleham and Saltholme
Bishop Middleham was quiet. Best sightings were fieldfares and a bullfinch.
Saltholme has distant Mediterranean gulls through the visitor centre glass plus a kestrel being escorted off the premises by an angry black-headed gull.
Stock dove
Herring gulls by the Lifeboat Station, Hartlepool.
April 13th: Adwick upon Dearne
Avocets and a kestrel sheltering from the wind. A lucky finding.
April 23rd: Blacktoft Sands to try for the three black terns that were reported on Marshland scrape. They obliged! [There's a swallow in the mix too!]
I only got one photo showing more than one bird.
I walked down to Ousefleet. A pair of yellow wagtails were in the ploughed field.
April 24th: Another old Moor Escapade
I wasn't too hopeful but I had news the ring-necked duck was on Willow Pool. This was confirmed by the girl on duty. we had a fun conversation. i'm pretty deaf and she had laryngitis and could barely speak! Willlow Pool is the far left-hand section of Wath Ings - to the left of the line of trees that stand in the water. A cormorant was perched there all afternoon. I spent all afternoon watching the hirundines, pochard and other ducks whilst hoping Mr. Elusive might appear. Few other people came. It wasn't warm but I had promised myself I'd stay until 3.30. Round about twenty past three I said [very loudly] to the empty hide: 'It's there! It's there!'
It was.
I walked back content and ready to face the A1 at Wentbridge. I passed a pair of LBB miscreants on my way.
