Captain's Log 

Bearded Tits

Have you seen any Bearded Tits?’ Two fellows had just come out of the Reedbed Hide and one of them had asked me the question. I replied that I hadn’t, although I’d heard some birdsong that sounded suspiciously like one to my left in the reeds. They’d been patiently waiting in the hide trying to get a view of the birds along the reeds at the side of the lake, but had now given up. I wished them luck for future sightings, then entered the hide and opened one of the windows. I looked to my left and there was a Bearded Tit not 20 yards away from me in the reeds. I thought about fetching the unlucky fellows back to the hide. Well, for a millisecond I did, but dismissed the idea because I was too busy taking photos. There were a couple of males that were flying amongst the reeds. I waited for a female to appear, but they were a tad shy. The males disappeared and so I left the hide. A few Bearded Tits had congregated on the reeds just outside the hide. There were females too. After the setback of the early morning mist, things were now looking up. I caught up with the two fellows on the way back to the Bittern bus stop and told them about the Bearded Tits showing up after they left. They didn’t look happy. 

Wader Scrape Hide

A dozen or so Redwings were grazing on a grassy area near the Bittern bus stop. One of them pulled up a worm so big that it was unable to eat it. I’ve had meals like that before. A man walked towards me and said ‘I thought they might be feeding with some Fieldfare. I’ve not seen any yet this year.’ I’d not seen any either; one is always on the watch for the first sight of a Fieldfare for the year. I dropped in at the Bittern Hide, but only stopped for a couple of minutes since the lake in front of it was frozen and there wouldn’t be any action.  The mist had now completely cleared and I started the long walk to the Wader Scrape hide. Even the big lake had frozen. A collection of birds had congregated on the far side, presumably where the ice had broken. A few people were sitting in the Wader Scrape hide, but there wasn’t much happening. There was a bit of excitement as a Mute Swan came into land on the frozen lake. Everybody was expecting it to skid along the ice but it managed to break through  on impact. I decided to move on to the Wath Ings Hide. 

Wath Ings Field Pool East And West Hides

There was a largish hole in the frozen lake in front of the Wath Ings Hide and a lot of birds had congregated in the area. Most of them were dozing. I watched with amusement as a Coot plodded his way across the ice from the island on my left to the hole in the ice. I don’t know why he didn’t just fly across since it would have been much easier. Even with his huge feet he nearly came a cropper a couple of times with major skids. He eventually made it and joined the other birds there. I didn’t go into the Field Pool East Hide since there was a collection of Robins that were flying just outside the door and posing for photographs. Time was pressing and I started making my way back to the carpark. I’d seen a few Long Tailed Tits flying about, but one joined me on the stretch between the Field Pool East and West hides. They are cute little birds. A chap near the RSPB buildings said that he’d seen a male and female Bullfinch in the nearby trees, but after five minutes of no-show I decided to call it a day. 

After such an unpromising start with the mist, it had turned out to be an excellent day.  Bearded Tits, Redwings and in ice skating Coot. You couldn’t ask for more really. . 

Wader Scrape

It was a glorious day. The sun cast a golden glow on to the trees and reeds. I thought I saw a Harrier or Peregrine on my way back from the Reedbed hide, but it soon became apparent that it was only a Buzzard. The reeds were quiet. In fact the whole reserve seemed rather quiet. The warmth of the sun drew out some insects with lots of Dragon Flies fluttering their way amongst the undergrowth. Near to the Wader Scrape hide a Robin flew towards me and landed on a wooden post. It was so close I could have reached out and touched it. If only all wildlife was so accommodating for photographers. I guess there wouldn't be a challenge then.

The large Wader Scrape hide was empty. I opened a window and a cool northerly soon chilled me. A Little Egret flew in front of the hide and I snapped away. 'Did you catch it?' I'd not heard the fellow walk into the hide and his presence made me jump. I had a look at my snaps, but they looked soft. 'Nah, it was flying a bit too fast' I told him.  There wasn't much going on and so I made my to the Wath Ings hide. This was also empty. Half a dozen Moorhens were pecking at the mud on the scrape in front of the hide, but that was about it. It was so quiet. I packed up and started making my way back to the Visitors Centre. A Robin joined me for a while and posed for a photo on a suitable branch. I wondered if it was the same one I'd seen earlier.

Old Moor in Autumn is so pretty and colourful. Hopefully Mr Bittern will take some modelling lessons from Mr Robin before I next return. 

Wader Scrape And Wath Ings

There were plenty of people in the Wader Scrape hide. Again, most of the lakes were dominated by Canada Geese and Gulls, although there were a few Mute Swans and Cormorants in the mix. I also saw an Avocet resting in the wet mud. It's snow white feathers would take some cleaning once it got up. Another Little Grebe started diving in front of the hide. The Geese treated us to a few flypasts. I quite like watching them land. Again, most of the birds were on the distant scrapes and so I packed up and strolled over to the Wath Ings hide.

It was a lot busier with people in here. I sat down on a bench, looked out of the hide window and saw a Heron immediately below me. It can only have been 20 metres away and probably the closest I've ever been to one of these amazing birds. I trained my camera on it for 15 minutes as it stood in the water waiting for fish to approach. The one time I took my eye away from the camera to scratch my nose, it caught a fish. It had swallowed it before I could take the photo. I guess the lesson learned is: don't scratch your nose when performing wildlife photography. It flew off for 10 minutes and then came back to the very same spot. The fishing must have been good there.

It had only been a short, 2 hour visit to RSPB Old Moor, but it was worth the effort just to see that Heron close up.

Field Pool East Hide

It was a bit less busy in the Field Pool East Hide and I settled down in a central position. There wasn't that much activity on the lake. A sole Pochard was making occasional dives and a Coot was helping to feed her juvenile. After a prolonged quiet period, there was quite a disturbance just below the hide. Everybody peered out of their windows to the area just below us, to see a gaggle of Greylags thrashing through the water like Triathlon swimmers.  It turned out that a Mute Swan was the cause of their exodus. It chased them towards the island, and then over to the other side of the lake where the geese decided to try their luck on dry land. The Swan couldn't be bothered to follow them; it had had its fun for the day.

I wandered back towards the Visitors Centre. I could hear plenty of birds, but couldn't see many. The foliage was thick and was effective at covering their locations. I watched the colourful Damselflies fluttering about the ponds for a while and tried to take a decent photo as they perched on leaves that were swaying in the breeze. Maybe one of the dozens of photos would turn out.

It had been a short visit to RSPB Old Moor, but well worth the effort. Hopefully I'll not leave it as long until my next visit...but definitely long enough for the Wader Scrape Woman to get her car's brakes fixed.

Goldfinches

It was even quieter in the Wath Ings Hide. The water level of the Wath Ings lake was high and the scrape that was normally right in front of the hide was now submerged. This scrape usually attracted a fair number of birds and these had now obviously flew off to drier grounds. A couple of Pochards were visible (how can you miss those red eyes), but they were too far away to get a good view. A flock of Long Tailed Tits flew into the branches of the trees on the island in the lake, but they were soon lost in the maze of wood.  After a few minutes of inaction I decided to move on.

On the way to the Field Pool West Hide a flock of Goldfinches descended into the trees next to me. Their bright plumage sparkled in the morning sun. I was quite surprised that they'd stopped so close to me. They stayed for a while and then flew off as one, over the lake.

Further along the track I heard some rustling in the hedgerow next to me. I looked into it and saw the slender body of a stoat. Frustratingly, the undergrowth was too thick for me to get a decent picture. It scuttled along the hedgerow weaving in and out of the foliage. 

Time was getting on, but I decided to have wander around to the reed beds to see if the Bearded Tits were still around.

Peregrine!

A chap had set up his camera and tripod near to the Reedbed screen. It was pointed down a gap along the reed beds. I'd never seen a bigger lens on a camera before.  He'd also got another camera with a slightly smaller lens, strung around his neck. I was about to ask him whether he'd got any good photos when I saw another chap clicking away further along the track. I walked towards him. 'There's a Peregrine up there,' he pointed up towards the electricity pylons straddling the site. 'A couple of crows were chasing it' he added. I looked up to where he was pointing and I saw a raptor heading towards the nearest pylon. Maybe this was going to be my lucky day.

It was indeed a Peregrine. The pylon was too far away to get a really good shot, but I managed to get a few half decent ones. Judging by the poop on the pylon's metal structure, I'd guess that it was a favoured perch. I waited with the fellow to see if it would fly off again. The bird looked down to us a few times; it had obviously clocked us, but had dismissed us as being too big for a meal.  Even the other photographer with his Hubble telescope got interested and he started manoeuvring the beast in the direction of the pylon. As soon as he did though, the Peregrine flew off and was lost to sight. Well that was a treat.

I thanked the fellow for pointing the Peregrine out. He said that he'd been wandering the reed beds all morning in anticipation of seeing the Bearded Tits. He'd not seen them yet. I wished him luck.

It had been a quiet day at Old Moor, but I'm not complaining. Goldfinches, a Stoat and a Peregrine are good enough for me.

Wath Ings Hide

There was just one woman in the Wath Ings Hide. The lake was still partially iced, but the prospects looked better here...there were quite  a few birds about. A Great Crested Grebe was diving for food. I'm not sure what would happen if he swam under the ice and tried to surface. Hopefully the ice would be thin enough to break. There was a nice view of a Heron settled on the bank of the lake. I'm not sure whether it was fishing or just enjoying the warmth of the sun. 'Have you ever seen a white Shoveler?' my fellow hide resident asked. I admitted that I hadn't. As far as I could remember they were white underneath, but not on top. With a beak the shape of a shovel, it would be hard to get one mixed up with something else. The woman said she'd seen a totally white one the other day and wondered whether it was in its winter plumage. I studied the water fowl identification chart on the hide wall, but there wasn't a white version of the Shoveler. Maybe she'd seen an albino Shoveler. As I was thinking this, a Buzzard flew over the far side of the lake and caused chaos within the wild fowl. Some took off and flew in a flock together until they deemed it safe to land and settle again. I left the woman looking for her white Shoveler. 

Reedbed Hide

A man was painting a picture with oil paints near to the Visitor Centre. It looked a cold business. I wondered whether the cold affected the paints. He was deep in concentration and so I didn't ask. 

Two blokes had setup their cameras on tripods near the Bittern bus stop with the intention of getting a Bearded Tit shot. 'Have you seen them yet?' I asked the nearest birder. He said that he hadn't, but somebody that he'd talked to earlier said that he'd seen four further along the trail to the Reedbed hide. The guy said that he'd been here a couple of weeks ago and seen half a dozen. I couldn't resist Tommy Topping him and said that I'd seen at least 20 here on a previous occasion. 

After an unproductive 20 minutes in the Reedbed hide, I left and met the birder I'd talked to earlier walking towards me. His camera was still attached to the tripod and slung over his shoulder. He'd still not seen any Bearded Tits. I wished him luck. 

It was a wonderful day for walking around Old Moor. Lots of sun and plenty of frost and ice. I bet the birds can't wait for the arrival of Spring though. 

Hide Tour

On the trail to the Bittern hide I came across a child size coffin with an all-too-realistic child-size skeleton hanging out of it. I don't really 'get' Halloween.  I made my way to the Field Pool West hide and observed some more Coots, but also some Pochards too. This was the first time I'd been to Old Moor in the afternoon. The sun was further around to the West and it seemed better for taking photos. On the way to the Field Pool East hide, a Kestrel hovered just out of range for a reasonable photo and then disappeared behind the trees. The Wath Ings lake was low, with mud stretching out from the hide for a 100 metres or so. It was obvious that nothing much was going to happen and so I trotted around to the Wath Ings hide. It was busier in there, although the lake was still sparse of birds. I felt a tap on my shoulder and for a horrid moment, I thought it might be from that child-sized skeleton that I'd seen earlier. In fact, it was from an old timer who informed me that there was a Green Sandpiper showing just behind one of the bushes in the island on the lake. I thanked him. I waited for 10 minutes and, sure enough it appeared, wading through the water. It was a lot busier in the Wader Scrape hide, with birders and birds out on the lake. Great Egrets, Cormorants, Herons, Spoonbills, Swans, Grebes (both Greater and Little). This seemed to be where the party was. I saw a Cormorant and then a Little Grebe eating fish. I listened into a conversation between my neighbours. They were on about the canal near to the Elsecar Heritage Centre. I was down there recently (see Elsecar-By-The-Sea). One of them said that Firecrests have been seen down there. Maybe, I'll have to pay another visit.

After a slow start, it had been a productive outing to RSPB Old Moor.  The afternoon seemed better for taking photos and so I think I'll shift future visits to that time of the day.

Bearded Tits

Back at the Bittern Bus Stop I looked over the reeds again and I could just make out what looked like a couple of Bearded Tits flying up and then diving back into the reed beds over by the Bittern Hide. I continued my Benny Hill walk over to the Bittern hide and looked down on to the same reeds. There was no doubt...through my zoom I could see a female Bearded Tit. I could see plenty of others too that were darting about. They were too far away to get a good photo. Then, they started drifting across the reeds back to the Bittern Bus Stop. For the third time today, I made my way back to the Bittern Bus Stop and was just in time to see a flock (I would say around 20) Bearded Tits dart from one reed area to another. About a dozen other birders had gathered to  watch the display too. The bird has tremendous colours. I'd seen a couple up at RSPB Leighton Moss last year, but to see this many and at such a close distance, was a real privilege. The flock seemed to move about as one entity, and at one point they all moved to a tree on the boundary of the site at the side of the A6195. 'Don't leave us!' I felt like bellowing after them. As if they'd heard me, they all came back again into some reeds directly in front of us.  After a minute or two of posing, they all flew off as a group, deeper into the reedbeds, out of sight. Crikey, what an amazing experience.

Shoveler

I guess that anything after the Bearded Tit Show would seem a bit of a let down. I wandered over to the Wader Scrape hide and found it empty. I looked out of one of the windows and saw some staff checking the vegetation out on the scrape. I'm not sure what they were doing, but it was clear that there wouldn't be any birds around there until they'd finished. I walked on to the Wath Ings hide which turned out to be very busy. The lake was a lot busier too. The star for me was the Shoveler with its comical beak and the intricate feather patterns. Listening to the conversation in the hide, it sounded like Ospreys had been recently seen at Old Moor. They hadn't stuck around for long though, obviously just having a pit stop on their long migration to Africa.

I'd spent so much time chasing the Bearded Tits (not a phrase I'd ever thought I'd  conceivably say), that I didn't have time to stop at either of the Field Pool hides on the way back.

What a cracking morning. Those BTs will last in the memory for a long time.

Spoonbills

The Wader Scrape hide looked a bit more promising. At least there was a bit of activity on the lake. I scanned the island and spotted a number of large white birds. At first I thought they were Egrets, but when I looked through my zoom I could see that they were Spoonbills. Hurray, my first Spoonbills of the year! I saw on one of the metal sculptures, the last time I was here, that the collective noun for a group of Spoonbills is a bowl. So, officially I was looking at a bowl of Spoonbills. The sight of that bill does make me laugh a little. I could see a distinct yellow blob on the end of  their flat bill. At first I thought this was caused by them sweeping their bill through the mud to feed. Later research revealed that adults show this colouration during the breeding season. The RSPB website says that they can be seen all year round, but the first ones I ever saw were in August last year, and then these today. After the disappointment of the Bittern Hide, the sight of the bowl of Spoonbills cheered me up a bit and I packed up and headed off to the Wath Ings hide.

 Black Winged Stilts

The serious birders had commandeered the best seats in the Wath Ings Hide. I did manage to find a decent window though that wasn't too obscured by the undergrowth in front of the hide. I kept an ear alert to the birders' conversation. The hot topic seemed to be some Black Winged Stilts that were showing. Or rather they weren't showing at the moment, since they were hiding in some long grass. I'd seen a Black Winged Stilt at YWT Potteric Carr last hear (see Captain's Log for 27/09/22 and 08/07/22). It provided great entertainment by attacking everything in sight. I thought I might see the same here, but they seemed to be keeping a low profile today. I tried to identify the area where the birders were looking, but I still couldn't see any Stilts. 'We need something to fly in and spook them' one of the birders commented. At that, the bowl of Spoonbills that I'd seen on the Mere, flew on to the scrape and chaos ensued with birds flying everywhere.  Once things had settled down again, the birders were saying that a Black Winged Stilt was now at the edge of the water. I took a picture of what I thought was a Black Winged Stilt. It had the correct shape head and beak but it was sadly lacking those distinctive bright orange legs. Its wings didn't look black either. I wondered if juveniles had different colouration. It was only when I got home and looked at the photo on the computer that I realised that it was only an Egret. Time was pressing and so I decided to move on to the next hide.

'I'm sorry you can't come down here for a while.' An RSPB volunteer had positioned herself in the centre of the track. I could hear some heavy machinery on the other side of the trees. They were obviously doing some maintenance. 'No problem' I replied, and I headed off back, the way I'd arrived.

Despite the slow start, it had been a good outing at RSPB Old Moor. The bowl of Spoonbills had made my day.

Field Pool Hides

Normally I go clockwise through the rest of the hides but I decided to go in the opposite direction today. The Field Pool West hide is quite small and not one I usually visit. This is mainly because the early morning sun shines into the camera lens making photography difficult. It was grey today and so I gave the hide a try. It was slow in this hide too and so I called it a day and started making my way up to the Field Pool East hide. They'd completed the footpath renovations along this stretch since my last visit and made a fine job. There were a couple of great information boards giving details about the area's industrial past. 

There was a bit more going on at the Field Pool East hide. A Great Egret waded its way slowly along the lake, contorting its neck to get a better view of any fish, but it didn't catch anything. A juvenile Herring Gull pottered about near the edge of the lake. Far out on the lake I could see the distinctive head of a Great Crested Grebe sat on a nest. Maybe this pair of Grebes would be more fortunate breeding. About 20 Coots floated in from the north of the lake. Occasionally they'd get disturbed by something and all hell would break loose as they half flew and half walked across the water. Apart from the Herring Gull, all the other birds were far away and so I decided to move on.

Wath Ings And Wader Scrape Hides

It was a lot busier with people in the Wath Ings hide. It was also busy out on the lake too. As soon as I sat down my eye caught sight of a huge brown bird going across the lake. Crikey, a Bittern! I fumbled to get my camera out and managed to get a shot, although it turned out to be slightly blurred. It was the first time I'd had a good sighting of one though. The shape of them reminds me a little of a flying boat. No sooner had it disappeared, then there was quite a kafuffle on the lake between two Cormorants. At first I thought they were fighting over a fish that one of them had caught. The thrashing and splashing seemed to go on for around a minute. It was only when I zoomed into one of the photos that I'd taken that I could see that the adult was actually regurgitating food and feeding its youngster. It all looked rather painful with the youngster's beak going deep into the adults throat. It fair turned my stomach.

It was also busy with people in the Wader Scrape hide. The north windows were all taken up by serious looking birders. Obviously something was showing. I'd seen a social media post that Night Herons had been spotted locally, but given the name, I presume they were mostly nocturnal. I tuned into the birder's conversations but I couldn't conclude anything. I picked a free window looking over the Mere. These windows catch the south westerlies though and I found it too cold to stay.

Well, I got my first good sighting of a Bittern. It was well worth coming to Old Moor just for that. The other highlight was the Cormorant feeding its young; something I'd not seen before either, and not something I particularly want to see again.

Coots Update

The old timer I'd crossed paths with at the Wader Scrape hide was in the Wath Ings hide. He was sat next to another fellow and was in deep conversation about any random topic that seemed to come into his mind. I nestled down a distance away so that I didn't disturb them. Out on the lake, the Lapwings were carrying out aerial acrobatics, chasing anything flying or floating. The sun really brought out their colours quite nicely. There was actually a large number of Ducks and Geese on the Wath Ings lake. It seemed a lot busier than the Mere and Wader Scrape lakes. I had a look around for the Ringed Necked Duck but I couldn't see him. Maybe he'd decided to look elsewhere for a female. The baby Coots had grown up a bit since I last saw them in May. They looked a little less like Alice Cooper now, and more like a House Of Lord's Peer. Their feathers still looked a bit dishevelled. The fluorescent red colouring on their head  was less pronounced. Despite appearances, their mothers still looked proud of them though, and who am I to argue.

It was only a short 2 hour visit today and I felt I rushed through the hides a tad. Hopefully I'll get a bit more time on my next visit.

Young Coots

The Coot I'd seen on the nest  on the16/05/23 had had some youngsters. One was exploring the nest and when the mother shuffled about, I could see another one underneath her. My own personal opinion is that young Coots aren't the prettiest looking babies of the bird world. I'm sure the parents and relatives think they are the most beautiful thing in the universe, but in my view they don't have a lot of things going for them. Maybe it's the blood red skin, bald forehead and fluorescent feathers that put me off. 

The fellows sat next to me said that they could see a Peregrine high in the sky. I looked, but all I could see were the usual floaters in my eyes. I'm really going to have to get some good binoculars or a telescope.

Compared to last year, the lakes seem less populated. I'm not sure whether this is down to bird flu or a more general decline. 

Sedge Warbler

I sat down in the Wath Ings hide and the guy next to me said 'Do you know what kind of Warbler that is?' He pointed to a bush straight in front of us. I knew what it was without even looking, since the last time I was here (on the 16/05/23) a Sedge Warbler kept appearing at the same spot. Once I'd eyeballed it, I could see that it was indeed a Sedge Warbler. It was singing a tuneful and rather loud song. It is quite an impressive bird. It would fly off and then return, a minute or two later, almost to the same spot. I guess that must be its singing branch. The chap said that the Ringed Duck was showing a few windows down. I thanked him. So the Ringed Duck was still around. I hoped it'd find a mate at some point.

On the way back to the Visitor Centre I came across a Coot with two babies swimming near to the path. Let's be honest...they are ugly.  I don't understand why they are so brightly coloured. Don't they stand out to predators?

It was only a 2 hour visit to Old Moor but I certainly crammed a lot of birdlife in. It was great to see the Marsh Harriers passing food, even though I didn't get a photo. Maybe  the next time I visit Old Moor the baby Coots will have had spruce up and look a bit more presentable.

 It's At The Back, Hobbies And Arctic Terns

On the way to the Wader Scrape hide I met three fellows looking into the canopy of some nearby trees. One was looking through binoculars and said 'It's there at the back, near the top.' The two others said they couldn't see it. 'It's there at the back, near the top.' The two others said they couldn't see it. 'It's there at the back, near the top.' The two others said they couldn't see it. I thought I'd walked into some sort of time loop. I had a look myself and couldn't see anything at the back, near the top.

In the Wader Scrape hide a birder sat down next to me and asked 'Is the Arctic Tern showing?' I'd come across the Arctic Tern on my last visit to Old Moor. From my research it looked very similar to a Black Headed Gull but had a narrower wing width. Given the large number of Black Headed Gulls around, the chances of me spotting it are pretty much zero. I told him that I'd not seen it. 'It's around. Seen it this morning. Also seen three Hobbies too.' Somebody further down the hide had provided this information. My neighbour correctly assessed me as an idiot and moved seat to be closer to the professional birder. 'Crikey, three Hobbies! I'd love to see just one' I thought. 

Ring Necked Duck

In the Wath Ings hide I was greeted by an RSPB volunteer as soon as I walked through the door. The Ring-Necked Duck is showing and she pointed it out in a flotilla of ducks. Wow, that was lucky. The hide was full of disappointed birders, the last time I was here, when the RND refused to show. I quickly got my camera out and got a reasonable photo of him. The flotilla headed towards the hide and I lost sight of him because of a bush in front of my window. My neighbours who had a great view of him in their window commented enthusiastically about his mating display. 'Shame it hasn't got a mate to appreciate it' one of them said. I tried to get behind them to have a look, but he was still out of view. I went back to my own seat hoping that he would paddle around to my window. 'Look at that! A Sedge Warbler right in front of the window' one of my neighbour's whispered. This was getting unfair, I made my way around to the back of their window again, but all I saw was the brown blur of the Sedge Warbler as it flew away. Well, at least I can say I've had a good sighting of a Ring Necked Duck. I wondered if the RSPB sold embroidered badges for sightings like this.  I'd have a look in the shop on the way back.

I saw plenty of Goslings about today, both Greylag and Canada. I thought I might see more youngsters. Maybe, I'll return in a couple of week's time and see if there are more. You never know, I might even see that Arctic Tern. 

 Ringed Duck

My new friend told me about Gerald who spends his waking hours in the hide overlooking the reedbed containing the Bitterns. This hide is out of bounds to the public, but with my long lens I'd often see Gerald (presumably) looking out its window. Apparently he has done sterling work in recording Bittern activity. They used some of his filming in Autumnwatch a few years ago.  It was time to move on and so I said goodbye to my informative neighbour.

It was quite clear something was afoot as I entered the Wath Ings Hide. It was filled with serious Spotters with telescopes on tripods. I sat down and looked through a window to see if I could see the Ringed Duck. To be honest, there wasn't a lot going on out on the lake. I listened in to the Spotters talking. Apparently the Ringed Duck had made an appearance this morning but hadn't shown since. I noticed that these Spotters used the verb 'show', as did my neighbour in the other hide, to indicate the appearance of a bird. I made a mental note to include 'show' in my vocabulary when I talked to Spotters. There's no harm in learning their language. Later research revealed that the Ringed Duck is a close relative to a Tufted Duck. They haven't got a tuft but do have more of a pointed head than a Tufted Duck. The 'Ringed' part of their name is derived from a white ring that is behind a black bill tip. I reckon I'd have a pretty good chance of recognising one in the future. At least I'd be able to talk as an equal to a Spotter about them.

I started making my way back to the carpark. In one of the smaller ponds a Coot showed and was carrying so much foliage in its beak that I reckon it could have built a nest with that one load.

Well, that was my April visit to RSPB Old Moor. I hope the bird flu passes before May and the youngsters start arriving.

Little Grebe

There was a greater variety of birds on display at the Mere lake. I thought I spotted some Lapwings in the distance, but when I zoomed in with my camera they turned out to be Oystercatchers. A pair of Gadwalls paddled near to the hide. I think the colour of these birds normally look a little bland, but in this light they looked amazing. In the Wath Ings Hide, some Pochards, Shovelers and Widgeons were promoting their colours and patterns too. Something disturbed a small bird from the undergrowth of one of the islands. I zoomed in with my camera and saw that it was a Little Grebe. They are indeed a lot smaller than their Great Crested cousins, and don't have that spiky, feathered crown either. They do enjoy the same deep red and black colours though.

The two hours visit seemed to pass too quickly today. I've decided to visit RSPB Old Moor once every month, over the next year, and see how it changes throughout that time. I've a feeling it is going to be a lot busier when I visit in April.

Goldcrest

From the Wath Ings hide I watched a Coot fly towards a couple of other Coots and raise its back wings. They do this to make themselves look bigger and present an aggressive pose. Swans also do a similar thing and some people call this behaviour by Coots as a 'swanning' display. I watched a male and female Shoveler make their way across the lake. I shouldn't laugh, but I do find their large beak quite amusing. A Great Heron stood on the bank at the far side of the lake, but it was too far away to get a good photo.

On my way back down the Green Lane I came across an elderly couple standing in the middle of the path. They said that they'd seen a couple of Goldcrests in the bushes alongside the path. A few seconds later, I spotted them too. They were difficult to photograph; they were either too deep in the bushes or too fast off the branches. I managed to get one reasonable shot though. I decided to follow the elderly couple along the path since they were obviously better spotters than me. I was rather disappointed when they stopped to chat to another couple and I had to continue on my own. There were actually quite a few people chatting along the path. The twitcher part of the community were obviously excited about something. Near one group I decided to stop and pretend to photo something, while trying to hear what they were saying. I couldn't decipher what they were on about though.

Caspian Gull

From the Wader Scrape hide I watched a group of Cormorants hanging out. One of them was showing his breeding plumage and looked like a Mohican. Something disturbed the Gulls and within seconds the air above the lake became a squawking mass of circling birds. The kafuffle was so loud I hardly heard the man approach me from behind and ask me a question. He wanted to know whether I'd seen the Caspian Gulls yet. He said that people were saying that there were two flying around the lake. I told him that I wouldn't recognise a Caspian Gull if it came and sat on the windowsill in front of me. He'd been told that they look like Black Headed Gulls but with a more mottled pattern on the head. He pulled up an image of one on his smart phone and we both had a look. It resembled a Herring Gull to me. I looked out at all the Gulls still swirling around the lake in front of me and I wished him luck with his search.

On the way back to the carpark I got a nice photo of a Chaffinch standing on a branch. I was able to get quite close without disturbing it. Another photographer chatted to me and commented that a Sparrowhawk had been seen around here this morning. Maybe the Chaffinch was just keeping a low profile.

It had been another great day at Old Moor. The Black Gulls were dominant today, but it wouldn't be long before we get some new residents.

Heron V Egret

Shortly after the Stonechat (and a Whinchat), a territorial fight between a Heron and an Egret took place. It was a bit like watching a dog fight between two B52 bombers. The Egret would occasionally land but then the Heron would come on a bombing run and the Egret would be off again.

I went over to the Reedbed hide for the first time. It had been shut off during the Bittern breeding period. It is actually quite a good hide with a close view of one of the Lakes. A huge excavator was shifting soil next to a Lake. I was surprised how little impact this had on the bids; they seemed to completely ignore the digger.

I walked on the usual route up to the Wath Ings hide and back. The atmosphere seemed subdued after all the activity during the summer. The Spoonbills had gone back to wherever they came from. I watched a heron catch a fish. It seemed to hold it in its beak for a long time, let it go, catch it gain, and then swallow it. Apparently, they can use their beak to stab fish several times before eating it.