Yeadon Dam

Out and about visiting friends and family today we were able to stop off for a walk around the dam this morning. The weather was all over the place, dull, bit of sun then back to very dull but not too cold.

The usual Geese, Swans and Mallards were at the jetty, a few Tufted Ducks among them and a Greylag too. There were Black-headed Gulls all over the dam and I picked out one Common Gull at the far end. We picked up some duck food at the boat club, they sell bags for a £1 when the club is running and by the time we got back to the jetty a Cormorant had joined the throng and was happily fishing as we fed the birds.

Canada Geese (like pair of guards on sentry duty!)

Black-headed Gull

Tufted Duck

Feeding Frenzy

Pale Mallard, quite beautiful I thought

Black-headed Gull

Cormorant

Greylag Goose

Mute Swan

Headless Canada Gees

Cormorant

Robin picking up the leftover duck food

Half way round and a Shoveler was........shoveling! Also three Goosanders - two female and a male were mixing the Mallards.

Shoveler

Goosander

As we went back to the car a Red Kite flew over and a pair of Greenfinch were chasing around the trees. A nice little escape from the Christmas prep!

Black-headed Gull

Farmyard Ducks

Dunnock

Crow

Blackbird

Pontefract

On Sunday we went to a Kustom car show at Pontefract race course and we made a detour to walk around the lake there. When looking it up afterwards it seems we missed a nature reserve in the North part of the park!

It was full of the usual birds - Mallard, Coot, Canada Geese, Black-headed Gulls, Tufted Ducks and a Cormorant too.

Unfortunately someone drove a radio controlled boat at the birds and another person had their dog in the lake spooking them so I wasn't able to check them out properly but I don't think I missed any.

Overhead were more BH Gulls and a few Herring too. Magpies and Woodpigeons were picking through the fallen leaves.

It's beginning to look quite autumn like now!

Another place to go back to so we can check out the reserve.

Rodley Nature Reserve

Spent a couple of hours at Rodley on Saturday morning, it's the first time we've been since the floods, what a mess they've left behind with all the rubbish from the river but you can see where the hard work has gone with the clear up, especially when you see the photos of the flooding that are up in the visitor centre.

The field by the car park was full of Canada and Greylag Geese and a lone Oystercatcher. A pair of Bullfinch followed us down the road to the Lagoon. On the lagoon there were Cormorants, another Oystercatcher, Canada/Greylag Geese, Black Swans, Coots, Tufted Ducks, a pair of Great Crested Grebe and Gadwall.

Part way down the willow path I spotted something in the coppice, a Warbler flitting about and I managed to grab some distant photos - the first Chiffchaff of the year, not that you could tell as it didn't make a peep the whole time I watched!

There were also Wrens, Dunnocks, Great/Blue Tits, Robin, Blackbirds and a Reed Bunting. We could hear a Woodpecker but it never made an appearance. 

Back on the water at the duck marsh more Gadwall, 5 Herons, Mute Swans, Coots and a Moorhen. There was a flock of Linnets flying about over Tim's field.

At the managers garden we watched a couple of rats under the feeders, lots of Reed Buntings, a couple of Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Great Tit and a fair few Woodpigeons and Magpies flying about in the field behind the garden.

In the visitor centre one of the volunteers asked if we'd seen the Sand Martins on the lagoon, we hadn't so after a cuppa to warm my hands on we stopped by to check. Of course we had our eyes on the Sand Martin nest block across the lagoon, couldn't see a thing till we realised they were actually flying about above our heads!!

A few signs of spring, always good to see!