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.

161 UK 2023