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

Hometown haunts

While visiting my parents on Saturday I took a walk around Yeadon Dam and Nunroyd Park, places I spent a lot of time at as a child and don't visit enough now!

The weather was good (I know shocking to hear!), the sun was out and it was quite spring like. We were at the dam early enough for it to be fairly quiet still, just the odd dog walker. Someone had dropped seed on the jetty for the ducks. Sparrows, Swans and Gulls were enjoying it too.

Black-headed Gull

Mute Swan

Tufted Duck

One of a pair of Great Crested Grebes

Around the ponds at the back we could hear Chiffchaff, Wrens, Goldfinch and over the airport runway a Kestrel was hovering. 

These three farmyard ducks were chasing Mallards all around the dam

I guess we were the early birds today........

At Nunroyd it had warmed up further and the park was full of birdsong with Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch......Crows were cawing and chasing Woodpigeons, overhead a Red Kite and a Buzzard were circling. 

I'm not sure what this bee is?

Greenfinch

Crows peeling bark off the trees

So starts my yearly series of Warblers shot from underneath as they never get down to eye level!!

Chiffchaff

Bullfinch

Robin

On the pond we saw a few Mallards, a Moorhen, a farmyard duck and the infamous Swans! The pond here is well watched and a Swan pair successfully reared cygnets last year but unfortunately the male Swan died despite the best efforts of the Swan Rescue. The female has found a new mate it seems and I watched them do a lot of synchronised head bobbing on Saturday, they've been seen rebuilding last years nest too.  

A Red Kite followed us out of the park 

You can see a lot more about what can be found in Nunroyd Park on Amanda's blog here

Yeadon Dam

I stopped at the dam last week on the way to my parents, I didn't have much time to linger but did take a few moments to watch the Swallows and House Martins flying over the water.

People were feeding the ducks as usual, I counted over 80 Mallards including a few farmyards ones as I walked round, along with the usual Coots, Canada Geese, a couple of Tufted Ducks, a Swan family but only 1 Moorhen.

Coot

Coot

Moorhen

There were lots of Black-headed Gulls after the food and sat at the far end of the dam, I found a couple of Common Gulls with them.

I only saw a handful of Sparrows and Goldfinch in the trees around the water, it was pretty quiet, I did see a Buzzard in the distance though. A couple of Squirrels were chasing each other around the trees.

A nice little walk, it always is here, brings back childhood memories when I spent so much time here!