A Stand Off

Last Monday as I left for work I could see a flock of Starlings screeching around a car park near home and as I got closer the screeching got worse. A couple of Magpies were hopping off a fence and flying at a bush then I realised that most of the noise was coming from a Sparrowhawk in the bush. It had a Starling (still alive) in its claws and the Magpies were not happy!

I had grabbed my camera as i'd been planning on taking a few photos as I walked through the local park so I managed to grab a few shots of the angry exchanges. The hawk was not giving up its grip on the Starling so every time a Magpie flew at it, it swung itself at them snapping it's beak.

Unfortunately it seemed quite a stand off that I couldn't wait for the end of or i'd be late for work (I know, I know I should have stayed), I was in fact a little late but hey ho. The photos I got give a pretty good idea of what was happening.

Rodley Nature Reserve

We left Golden Acre about lunchtime and drove over to Rodley. I'd read that a Garganey had been seen on the reserve so I was hoping it was still around.

A noisy Oystercatcher was flying around as we got out of the car and there were several geese in the field.

At the lagoon hide we watched a few more Oystercatchers flying around, on the water Cormorant, Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall with the usual Mallard etc.

Where we'd seen snipe last time we visited we now saw sleeping Gadwall, more Oystercatchers and geese.

We saw Dunnock along the path, one of them shaking a tail feather....

The Garganey was still around and viewable from the Willow Path hide, we needed a little help to get on it though as it was asleep at the back, it did move it's head up a few times for a better view. A new bird for me!

Spot the Garganey.........*

A little wander along the riverside trail had us dodging toads and I saw a butterfly fly off ahead of us, a Small Tortoiseshell I think.

Stopping at the visitors centre for a cuppa and a cake and we made our way home. A good weekend with lots of good birding!

*Garganey!

My daughter took this one and she couldn't tell where it was either hence it being in the corner!

Adel Dam & Golden Acre

Up early on Sunday for a walk around the park before it got too busy. A Goosander was on the main lake at Golden Acre along with Mallard,Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot and the stroppy farmyard goose that was pecking shoes last time.

Robin

Tufted Duck

Goosander

We could hear Chiffchaff, Blue Tits, Dunnocks and Robins, there were a few Nuthatch around too.

Nuthatch

Dunnock

This American skunk cabbage grows around the edge of the water and I quite like it, it's managed so it doesn't spread as it's an invasive species.

Onto Adel Dam and we saw more Nuthatches. At the first hide we chatted to a guy already in there, we the first people he'd seen so far this morning. A couple of Mandarin were around with the usual small birds at the feeders. 

Mandarin

From the lake hide we saw quite a few Greylag Geese, Teal,Little Grebe, more Mandarins and overhead a Red Kite and a couple of Buzzards

Greylag Goose

Moorhen

Teal

At the side of the hide where the feeders are a Reed Bunting flew in, i've not seen one here before.

Reed Bunting

Blue Tit

We carried on and walked through the woods stopping for a while to watch a Treecreeper fly around the trees. Further along the path a bird flew up out of the undergrowth - a Woodcock! Then a few minutes later another, again a new bird for me here and a bit of a surprise....although probably more so for the poor birds!

Treecreeper

North Cave Wetlands

After we left Blacktoft we decided to call into North Cave Wetlands, we weren't quite ready to go home yet.

We had to stop for a small traffic jam on the way........

The wetlands were full of birds, lots of Gulls following a tractor around the field at the entrance, Greylag Geese honking as we got out of the car.

From the picnic area we saw Avocets, Oystercatchers, Redshank, Teal, Great Crested and Little Grebe and Gulls.

,

In fact the Black-headed Gulls were everywhere, all over the reserve, now and again they were spooked, by what we couldn't tell.....

.....and in the middle of them all a pair of Mediterranean Gulls

On the reedbed lake we saw Shelduck and across on the bank a pair of Curlews. A Reed Bunting settled on a nearby branch.

It was pushing five by now and we decided to leave to make a little detour on the way home. My husband saw a Barn Owl whilst out with work a couple of weeks back so we headed off to see if we could spot anything. I thought we'd lucked out and we had turned around to head home and coming down the road way ahead of us an owl!! It was too far for anything but blurry shots but it flew down the road and over a hedge. We pulled up to look but it had gone, instead we took a few minutes to watch Partridge and hares in a field and listen to Skylarks. A beautiful moment.

Finally back home and the first bat of the year was flying about the yard opposite. A good end to quite a fantastic day!