Yeadon Dam

I managed to make a brief visit here on Saturday morning on the way to my parents. The usual birds were out on the water - Canada Geese, Mallard, Coot, Tufted Ducks and Mute Swans. Black Headed Gulls and Swallows were flying about over the water. The Swallows are a joy to watch swooping about.

There were quite a few Sparrows hanging off the grasses by the water as we walked around, they were flighty though.

At the top end of the dam where the reeds are we spotted Blue Tits, Linnets, Wren, Willow Warbler, Blackbird and Reed Bunting.

You can just about see the Willow Warbler at the top of the tree

I also heard my first Grasshopper Warbler, it stayed well out of sight of course but you can just about pick out the reeling call on this video. I was pretty pleased, I hung around a while in hope it might show itself but I had to be content with the call, which was pretty much constant.

A little further round near the bike track I heard a  Chiffchaff calling but it stayed out of sight. Nice little visit, i'm glad I had the time to walk around.

Yeadon Tarn

Yeadon Tarn or Yeadon Dam as we know it in our family is somewhere I have visited regularly since I was tiny. My brother and I played here a lot as we grew up and it was great for watching frogs, snails and ducks.

We went yesterday and it was busy as it usually is on a sunny day. There were quite a few boats out too. These don't seem to bother the birds in the slightest. Neither do the planes, as part of Leeds Bradford Airport runway runs down the top end of the tarn! There was a Pied Wagtail in the car park when we pulled up.

There were lots of Canada Geese there and of course Mallards, a couple of the Mallards had young. We also saw a Moorhen and a couple of Coots on nests. There was one Coot baby, still with a red head so that must have been quite young. No Swans though today, which is quite unusual, I can't think of a time i've been recently when we haven't seen at least one.


There was a lone Great Crested Grebe at the top end of the tarn, I saw my first one here and this one for a change didn't spend the whole time ducking under water.


Usually the place is plagued by Gulls but not today for some reason, if fact all I saw was a Common Tern, which was already flying away when we got there. The top part of the tarn has been left to go a little wild and is full of Buttercups, Yellow Lillies and lots of other shrubs that I can't identify!






It does have the requisite island in the middle which has quite a bit of vegetation and lots of Canada Geese and Mallards on there, quite often there are Grey Herons too but not today. I didn't get a great shot of the island, but didn't realise till I checked back home.



A great little place to visit and a nice walk even in winter (if you are wrapped up warm - the wind is biting round there!) with frost and ice everywhere, it's very pretty.